Canada expels top Indian diplomat over credible allegations of Indian government links to Sikh activist’s assassination
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced that Canada has expelled a senior Indian diplomat in response to credible allegations of the Indian government’s involvement in the assassination of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Nijjar, a prominent advocate for an independent Sikh homeland called Khalistan, was gunned down on June 18 outside a Sikh cultural center in Surrey, British Columbia. Trudeau stated in Parliament that Canadian intelligence agencies have been actively investigating the potential link between Indian government agents and the killing of a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil.
During the G-20 summit, Trudeau raised the issue directly with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, emphasizing that any involvement by a foreign government in the killing would be a violation of Canada’s sovereignty. As a result, the head of Indian intelligence in Canada has been expelled. Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly denounced the potential violation of sovereignty and basic rules of international relations, leading to the expulsion of the top Indian diplomat.
CHRIS HELGREN / REUTERS
The World Sikh Organization of Canada has revealed that Canadian intelligence and law enforcement agencies were aware of threats against Nijjar and other Sikh activists in Canada, having received warnings from various sources. According to the organization, Nijjar had publicly voiced concerns about his own safety and claimed to be targeted by Indian intelligence agencies.
Trudeau emphasized that his government has been actively collaborating with Canada’s allies and intends to cooperate with India to fully investigate the matter. He expressed solidarity with the Indo-Canadian community who may be feeling angry or fearful. Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc confirmed that Canada’s national security adviser and the head of its spy service have traveled to India to meet with Indian counterparts and address the allegations directly. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police are leading the ongoing homicide investigation.
Joly stated that Trudeau has also raised the issue with U.S. President Joe Biden. Additionally, she plans to discuss the matter with her colleagues during the G7 meeting and the United Nations General Assembly.
Pierre Poilievre, the leader of the Conservative Party, condemned the potential violation of sovereignty and called for transparency in the investigation. Jagmeet Singh, the leader of the New Democratic Party and a Sikh himself, expressed shock and outrage over the Prime Minister’s confirmation of a potential link between a foreign government and the murder of a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil. The Khalistan movement, which seeks a separate Sikh state, is banned in India but has support in Canada and the United Kingdom, where there are significant Sikh populations.
Nijjar had been associated with an unofficial Khalistan referendum seeking the establishment of a separate Sikh state. Indian authorities had previously issued a cash reward for information leading to Nijjar’s arrest, accusing him of involvement in an attack on a Hindu priest in India.
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