In a stunning revelation that threatens to further strain diplomatic relations between Canada and India, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made a shocking announcement on Monday in the Canadian House of Commons. He accused “agents of the government of India” of carrying out the assassination of Sikh community leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia in June.
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Trudeau’s allegations, based on intelligence gathered by the Canadian government, have sent shockwaves through the international community. Speaking before lawmakers, he declared, “Any involvement of a foreign government in the killing of a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil is an unacceptable violation of our sovereignty.” He pledged to pressure India for cooperation in the investigation into Nijjar’s murder, who was known for advocating Sikh separatism.
In a swift response, Canada’s Foreign Minister, Mélanie Joly, announced the expulsion of an Indian diplomat, whom she identified as the head of India’s intelligence agency in Canada.
India’s foreign ministry swiftly rejected the allegations, describing them as “absurd” and politically motivated. They accused Canada of providing shelter to “Khalistani terrorists and extremists” who threaten India’s security. Khalistan is the name used by Sikh separatists for the independent state they seek to establish.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India reportedly “completely rejected” Trudeau’s allegations when they were presented during the Group of 20 summit meeting earlier this month. Subsequently, India announced the expulsion of a senior Canadian diplomat based in India.
This dramatic turn of events is expected to further erode relations between the two countries. Canada recently suspended trade deal negotiations with India due to the assassination allegations, and during the G20 summit, Modi excluded Trudeau from formal bilateral meetings.
Trudeau emphasized that many Canadians of Indian origin, constituting about 4 percent of the population, had been deeply affected by Nijjar’s killing and expressed concerns for their personal safety. Canada is home to approximately 1.4 million Canadians of Indian heritage, including many Sikhs.
Hardeep Singh Nijjar, aged 45, was shot near a Sikh temple in Surrey, British Columbia. While investigators from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police acknowledged that he had been ambushed by masked men, they did not confirm whether the attack was politically motivated.
The Canadian government, including Foreign Minister Joly and Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc, refrained from providing specific details about Indian involvement in the assassination. However, LeBlanc mentioned that Canada’s national security adviser and intelligence service had confronted Indian intelligence agencies with these allegations in recent weeks.
As tensions escalate, Foreign Minister Joly plans to discuss India’s actions with Canada’s allies during her visit to the United Nations General Assembly in New York this week.
The announcement coincides with the commencement of a public inquiry into foreign government interference in Canadian politics, initially prompted by allegations of Chinese meddling. Minister LeBlanc indicated that reviewing India’s actions falls within the scope of this inquiry, considering the seriousness of the allegations.
The World Sikh Organization of Canada, a nonprofit organization, revealed that Nijjar had shared concerns about threats to his life with Canada’s intelligence agencies.
The leader of the Conservative Party, Pierre Poilievre, stated, “If these allegations are true, they represent an outrageous affront to Canada’s sovereignty.” He emphasized the importance of protecting citizens from extrajudicial killings by foreign governments.
Jagmeet Singh, the leader of the opposition New Democratic Party and a Canadian of Indian heritage, expressed his condolences and concern for Nijjar’s family. He noted that the Sikh expatriate community now fears retribution from India, which has shaken their sense of security in Canada.
Sikhs, a relatively small religious group with approximately 25 million adherents worldwide, have a significant presence in India, particularly in the state of Punjab. The Sikh community has a complex history, including a violent insurgency in the 1980s and a series of tragic events, including the storming of the Golden Temple in Amritsar in 1984 and the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
In 1985, the Air India bombing, which remains Canada’s deadliest terrorist attack, claimed the lives of 329 people on board. While two Sikh separatists from British Columbia were acquitted of murder and conspiracy charges in 2005, the case still looms large in Canadian memory.
Recently, one of the men acquitted in the Air India bombing case, Ripudaman Singh Malik, was shot to death, sparking concerns within the Sikh community in British Columbia.
