OTTAWA, Canada – In a startling revelation that could further deteriorate relations between Canada and India, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused “agents of the Indian government” of being involved in the assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a prominent Sikh community leader in British Columbia.
Trudeau made the claim while speaking in the House of Commons on Monday, September 18, 2023.
The Prime Minister stated that he confronted Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi about the matter at the G20 summit earlier this month “in no uncertain terms.” Trudeau said the allegation was substantiated by Canadian intelligence.
“Any involvement of a foreign government in the killing of a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil is an unacceptable violation of our sovereignty,” Trudeau told lawmakers. He vowed that Canada would put pressure on India to collaborate in the investigation into Nijjar’s death.
Following Trudeau’s announcement, Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly revealed that Canada had expelled an Indian diplomat described as “the head” of Indian intelligence in Canada.
A Concerned Community
Trudeau also mentioned that Nijjar’s killing had caused considerable distress within Canada’s large Indian-origin community, which comprises an estimated 1.4 to 1.8 million people, many of whom are Sikhs.
Jagmeet Singh, the leader of the opposition New Democratic Party, who is of Sikh origin, is among them. His party currently supports Trudeau’s minority government.
“The large community of Canadians of Indian origin had been angered by the killing and in some cases feared for their personal safety,” Trudeau said.
Strained Relations
The allegations are likely further to sour the already tense relations between Canada and India. Negotiations for a trade deal between the two nations have been suspended, and during the recent G20 summit, Modi excluded Trudeau from the list of leaders with whom he conducted formal bilateral meetings.
The Victim and the Crime
Hardeep Singh Nijjar, 45, was gunned down near a Sikh temple in Surrey, British Columbia. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police, who are investigating the killing, have stated that masked men ambushed Nijjar. However, they have not confirmed if the attack was politically motivated.
Nijjar was an advocate for the creation of Khalistan, an independent Sikh nation that would include parts of India’s Punjab state. India had declared him a wanted terrorist.
Political Repercussions
Pierre Poilievre, leader of the Conservative Party, echoed Trudeau’s sentiments about the alleged involvement of the Indian government. “If these allegations are true, they represent an outrageous affront to Canada’s sovereignty,” Poilievre said. “Our citizens must be safe from extrajudicial killings of all kinds, most of all from foreign governments.”
The ramifications of this development are yet to be fully understood, but they will undoubtedly affect diplomatic relations and possibly even security cooperation between Canada and India.
It remains to be seen how India will respond to these serious allegations and its impact on the Canadian-Indian community.
