Hardeep Singh Nijjar: Canada accuses India of role in Sikh leader's murder

Canada has accused India of involvement in the murder of a prominent Canadian Sikh leader, a claim vehemently denied by Delhi. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stated on Monday that Canada was examining “credible allegations potentially linking” the Indian state to the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

Nijjar, aged 45, was fatally shot outside a Sikh temple in Canada on June 18. India has expelled a Canadian diplomat in retaliation after Canada expelled Indian diplomat Pavan Kumar Rai over the case.

Nijjar, a well-known Sikh separatist leader in British Columbia, publicly advocated for Khalistan, the establishment of an independent Sikh homeland in India’s Punjab region. Sikhs represent a religious minority comprising approximately 2% of India’s population, and some groups have long called for a separate Sikh homeland.

In the 1970s, there was a Sikh separatist insurgency in India that resulted in thousands of casualties before it was suppressed in the following decade. Since then, the movement has primarily been active in countries with significant Sikh populations such as Canada and the UK. Canada, home to an estimated 1.4 to 1.8 million Canadians of Indian origin, has the largest Sikh population outside Punjab.

India has previously labeled Nijjar as a terrorist leading a militant separatist group, allegations refuted by his supporters, who claim he received threats due to his activism. Trudeau mentioned that he raised Nijjar’s killing with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the recent G20 summit in Delhi, emphasizing that any foreign government’s involvement in the killing of a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil is an infringement of sovereignty.

On Tuesday, India’s Ministry of External Affairs rejected Trudeau’s claims, calling them “absurd” and politically motivated. They accused Canada of sheltering “Khalistani terrorists and extremists” who pose a threat to India’s security, urging Canada to take swift legal action against anti-India elements operating from its territory.

Following Trudeau’s remarks, posters and tributes to Nijjar were displayed at the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara in Surrey, Canada. Sikh community leaders appreciated Trudeau’s acknowledgment of potential foreign involvement in the murder.

Trudeau’s statement comes in the wake of a tense meeting with Modi during the G20 summit, during which Modi accused Canada of not doing enough to quell “anti-India activities of extremist elements,” referring to Sikh separatists. Additionally, Canada recently suspended free trade agreement negotiations with India, citing “certain political developments.”

Nijjar’s death is the third unexpected loss of a prominent Sikh figure in recent months, contributing to tensions between Delhi and Ottawa. India has been exerting pressure on countries with significant Sikh populations, including Canada, Australia, and the UK, warning that failure to address what it terms “Sikh extremism” could hinder diplomatic relations.

The White House expressed deep concern over Trudeau’s allegations, emphasizing the importance of a thorough investigation and bringing the perpetrators to justice.