“Over the past few weeks, Canadian security agencies have been actively investigating credible allegations of a possible link between Indian government agents and the murder of Canadian citizen Hardeep Singh Nijjar,” Trudeau said, as quoted by CNN. Prime Minister Canada He added that his government would take all necessary steps “to bring the perpetrators of this murder to justice.”
Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who had Canadian citizenship, on June 18 this year. was shot dead outside a Sikh temple in Surrey, British Columbia. The Sikh activist was a supporter of the creation of an independent state of Khalistan, just for members of the Sikh religious community. The Indian government considered him a terrorist and accused him of conducting separatist activities.
Crisis in Canada-India relations. Trade talks suspended
During a speech to the Canadian Parliament, Trudeau announced that the Canadian government’s concerns had been conveyed to top Indian officials, and he personally conveyed them to the Indian Prime Minister during the G20 summit in New Delhi.
“Any involvement of a foreign government in the killing of a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil is an unacceptable violation of our sovereignty,” Trudeau said, adding that it was an “extremely serious matter.”
Canada recently suspended trade talks with India and decided not to send a trade mission planned for this fall.
According to the BBC, government India vehemently denies any involvement in Niijar’s death.
Canada expels Indian diplomat
Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly told reporters that a senior Indian diplomat, the head of Indian intelligence at the embassy in Ottawa, had been expelled from Canada, Reuters reported. – If (the murder charge – ed.) turns out to be true, it will be a huge violation of our sovereignty (…) As a result, we expelled a high-ranking Indian diplomat – said Joly, who was quoted by the Associated Press.
Since the 1940s, supporters of the Khalistan movement have been calling for the creation of a state for the followers of the Sikh religion in the current area of Punjab in India. Sikhism is a religion that was founded in the 15th century and combines Hindu and Muslim beliefs. Currently, there are approximately 27 million of its followers in the world.
The informal coalition partner of Justin Trudeau’s liberal government, the New Democratic Party, has a leader who is Sikh – the head of the NDP since 2017 is Jagmeet Singh.
Canada is home to the largest Sikh diaspora outside Punjab. Nijjar’s death sparked demonstrations and protests. The largest demonstration took place on July 8, when hundreds of people gathered in front of the Indian consulate in Toronto.
(Sources: CNN, BBC, PAP)
