Canada Accuses India of Involvement in Activist’s Death \ Newslooks \ Washington DC \ Mary Sidiqi \ Evening Edition \ Canada has expelled India’s high commissioner and five other diplomats, accusing them of involvement in the assassination of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in June 2023. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Canadian authorities claim to have evidence linking Indian diplomats to a broader campaign of intimidation and violence against Canadian citizens. India has denied the allegations, expelling six Canadian diplomats in retaliation and accusing Canada of supporting extremism.
Diplomatic Dispute Over Sikh Activist’s Death: Quick Looks
- Diplomats expelled: Canada expelled India’s top diplomat and five others over their alleged role in the assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
- Retaliation by India: India expelled Canada’s acting high commissioner and five Canadian diplomats in response.
- Prime Minister’s stance: Trudeau accused Indian agents of collecting intelligence used for attacks on Canadian citizens, particularly those involved in the Sikh independence movement.
- India’s rejection: India called the accusations “absurd” and accused Canada of harboring Sikh separatists, exacerbating tensions between the two countries.
- The Nijjar assassination: Nijjar, a prominent Sikh activist labeled a terrorist by India, was shot outside his temple in Canada in June 2023.
- Ongoing investigations: Canadian police are investigating possible links between Indian agents and other violent acts on Canadian soil, while India denies any involvement.
Deep Look
A major diplomatic rift between Canada and India has intensified after Canada expelled six Indian diplomats, including the country’s high commissioner, following allegations that the Indian government was involved in the June 2023 assassination of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the expulsions, citing evidence uncovered by Canadian authorities that links Indian diplomats to the targeted killing and other acts of violence against Canadian citizens. In response, India retaliated by expelling six Canadian diplomats and accused Canada of providing support to Sikh separatists.
Nijjar, a 45-year-old Canadian citizen, was a well-known leader of the Khalistan movement, which advocates for an independent Sikh homeland in India’s Punjab region. He was fatally shot while sitting in his pickup truck outside the Sikh temple he headed in Surrey, British Columbia. His murder shocked the Sikh community in Canada, where the Khalistan movement continues to garner support, despite being outlawed in India.
Nijjar’s assassination has since become the focal point of an escalating diplomatic dispute between the two nations. Canada, home to a significant Sikh population, has been a base for the movement’s diaspora, which has raised longstanding concerns for India. The Indian government had labeled Nijjar a terrorist in 2020 and had been seeking his extradition for alleged involvement in an attack on a Hindu priest in India. However, Nijjar’s supporters argue that his political activism was peaceful and that his killing was politically motivated.
The latest developments in this case have placed Prime Minister Trudeau’s government at the center of a diplomatic firestorm. During his announcement, Trudeau asserted that Indian diplomats had engaged in illegal activities, gathering intelligence that was used to target Canadian citizens, including Nijjar. “We will never tolerate the involvement of a foreign government threatening and killing Canadian citizens on Canadian soil,” Trudeau declared, accusing India of making a “monumental mistake.” He further alleged that Indian diplomats had been passing intelligence to organized crime groups to execute violent acts against pro-Khalistan activists in Canada.
Mélanie Joly, Canada’s foreign minister, echoed Trudeau’s concerns and outlined the evidence gathered by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). According to Joly, the RCMP had accumulated “ample, clear, and concrete evidence” that six individuals, including the expelled diplomats, were involved in the killing of Nijjar and other violent acts against Canadians. She revealed that Canada had asked India to waive diplomatic immunity for the accused individuals so they could cooperate with the investigation, but India refused.
Joly also noted that the investigation uncovered more than just Nijjar’s murder. The RCMP reportedly found evidence suggesting that Indian government agents may have been involved in other homicides and violent activities on Canadian soil. The full extent of these activities is still under investigation, but RCMP Deputy Commissioner Mike Duheme said that there had been numerous credible threats to members of the South Asian community, especially those connected to the pro-Khalistan movement. “The team has learned a significant amount of information about the breadth and depth of criminal activity orchestrated by agents of the government of India,” Duheme stated, adding that the threats had resulted in police issuing warnings to members of the Sikh independence community.
The accusations and subsequent expulsions have sparked a sharp rebuke from India. The Indian foreign ministry swiftly denied any involvement in Nijjar’s killing, dismissing the allegations as “absurd” and “baseless.” India responded by expelling Canada’s acting high commissioner and five other Canadian diplomats, who were given until Saturday to leave the country. India’s foreign ministry also summoned Canada’s top diplomat in New Delhi, warning that the “baseless targeting” of Indian officials was “completely unacceptable” and threatening further actions if necessary.
India has long expressed frustration over what it perceives as Canada’s leniency toward Sikh separatists. For years, India has urged countries with large Sikh populations, including Canada, the U.K., and Australia, to take legal action against Khalistan activists. In India’s view, these activists promote extremism and violence, with the Khalistan movement banned within its borders. India’s government has specifically criticized Trudeau’s administration for being “soft” on pro-Khalistan groups and failing to curb what it sees as anti-India sentiment within the Canadian Sikh community.
The Indian government has accused Canada of harboring extremists who seek to destabilize India. This tension escalated in 2020 when India labeled Nijjar a terrorist and sought his arrest. Following his death, India has continued to maintain that Nijjar was involved in violent activities, including an alleged attack on a Hindu priest.
Diplomatic relations between Canada and India have been strained since the assassination, with both countries trading barbs and actions in the wake of the killing. Last year, after Canada made its initial allegations about India’s involvement in Nijjar’s death, India retaliated by demanding that Canada reduce its diplomatic staff in India, ordering the removal of 41 out of 62 Canadian diplomats. This move further worsened the already frosty relations between the two nations, and the latest round of expulsions has only deepened the rift.
India’s foreign ministry on Monday issued a pointed statement, saying, “India reserves the right to take further steps in response to the Trudeau government’s support for extremism, violence, and separatism against India.” The statement reflects India’s growing frustration with Canada’s handling of the Khalistan issue and its view that Trudeau’s government is providing a safe haven for those who threaten India’s security.
Despite the heightened tensions, Canada’s foreign minister expressed hope that India would eventually cooperate with the ongoing investigation. Mélanie Joly highlighted India’s collaboration with U.S. officials in a separate case involving another Sikh separatist leader, Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, who had been targeted for assassination on American soil. She suggested that India should adopt a similar approach with Canada, noting that it would be in the interest of both nations to get to the bottom of the Nijjar case.
Meanwhile, the U.S. State Department has also become involved, announcing that an Indian inquiry committee investigating a plot to assassinate Pannun would be traveling to Washington to discuss the case with U.S. officials. This development follows charges filed last year by U.S. prosecutors, accusing an Indian government official of orchestrating the plot to kill Pannun, a prominent pro-Khalistan leader based in New York. While the official was never publicly named or charged, the case has added to concerns about India’s reach beyond its borders.
As Canada and India continue to expel diplomats and exchange accusations, the Nijjar case has become emblematic of broader geopolitical tensions involving diaspora communities and separatist movements. With both countries deeply entrenched in their positions, the dispute is likely to have lasting implications for their diplomatic and political relations.
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