In what could prove to be a fresh flashpoint in the already increasingly strained relations between India and Canada, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Tuesday (September 19 - IST) accused "agents of the Indian government" of killing a Canadian citizen Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Hardeep Singh Nijjar was shot dead in June this year and had been a vocal suppporter of the separatist ideology Khalistan, which essentially demands the separation of the state of Punjab from India.
Justin Trudeau made the remarks while speaking in the House of Commons. Trudeau is also reported to have said in the house that he had raised the issue on his recent visit to India during the G20 Summit when he had a pull-aside meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
What did Canada PM Justin Trudeau Say?
"Over the past number of weeks, Canadian security agencies have been actively pursuing credible allegations of a potential link between agents of the government of India and the killing of a Canadian citizen - Hardeep Singh Nijjar," said Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in the House of Commons.
Canada's Foreign Minister Melanie Joly said that Canada will "not tolerate any form of foreign interference" and that she had communicated it to her Indian counterpart.
Who was Hardeep Singh Nijjhar?
Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a vocal supporter and top leader of the separatist Khalistani movement, was shot dead by two gunmen at the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia in Canada on June 19, 2023.
He was also the president at the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara in Surrey, near where he was killed. His role was pivotal in organising the Khalistan referendum in Brampton.
Nijjar was also close to the banned separatist organization, Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), known for his open anti-India stand and its leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannu, issues threats video to the Indian government and officials abroad, via videos he releases every now and then.
What does this mean for India-Canada ties?
The relations between India and Canada have not been at their best in recent times, to put it mildly. The foreign media had commented that the Canadian PM, who was in India for the recently concluded G20 Summit in New Delhi, was reportedly given a "cold shoulder" during the summit owing to the Canadian government's lack of action against Khalistani elements on its soil.
