Canada’s Trudeau demands answers in Sikh leader’s assassination

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20th Sep, 2023. 08:29 pm
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Justin Trudeau emphasizes intent not to provoke India but to seek appropriate resolution.
Canadian intelligence investigates allegations of New Delhi’s involvement in Hardeep Singh Nijjar’s murder.
India rejects allegations, expels Canadian diplomat, straining diplomatic relations.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau clarified that Canada’s intent is not to provoke India but rather to encourage New Delhi to address the matter appropriately.

Trudeau’s statement followed his announcement on Monday regarding Canadian intelligence agencies actively investigating credible allegations linking New Delhi’s agents to the shooting of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, aged 45, in British Columbia in June.

India promptly rejected these allegations as absurd and announced the expulsion of a Canadian diplomat, exacerbating the already strained diplomatic relations between the two G20 nations. Trudeau emphasized that this case holds significant implications within the realm of international law.

“The government of India needs to take this matter with the utmost seriousness. We are doing that; we are not looking to provoke or escalate,” he said.

The incident has disrupted long-running discussions about the possibility of a bilateral trade agreement.

According to an undisclosed source with knowledge of the matter, Canada’s choice to declare a pause in the negotiations on September 1 and to subsequently delay a significant trade mission scheduled for the following month was directly tied to apprehensions related to the murder case.

The source requested anonymity due to a lack of authorization to communicate with journalists. Canadian authorities have refrained from disclosing the reasons behind their suspicion of India’s involvement in Nijjar’s murder.

“The evidence “will all be shared in due course”, said a senior Canadian government source, who requested anonymity given the sensitivity of the situation.

A government source noted that Canada has maintained a close working relationship with the United States, which includes collaboration on Prime Minister Trudeau’s statement issued on Monday regarding his nation’s apprehensions concerning the murder.

Trudeau asked why Ottawa had spoken out now, and said, “We wanted to make sure that we had a solid grounding in understanding what was going on … we wanted to make sure we were taking the time to talk with our allies.”

Balraj Nijjar, aged 21 and the son of Nijjar, expressed his long-standing belief that India was responsible for the murder, as reported by the Canadian Broadcasting Corp on Tuesday.

“It was just a matter of time for when the truth would come out,” it quoted him as saying.

Sikh and Muslim groups have embraced Prime Minister Trudeau’s statements and have urged his government to act promptly.

Their demands include safeguarding Sikhs in Canada who may be at risk and implementing measures to prohibit individuals associated with Indian intelligence agencies or human rights violations from entering Canada, among other immediate measures.

“To see a Canadian attacked on Canadian soil by a foreign country — I think we can’t understate how shocking that news is,” World Sikh Organization of Canada board member Mukhbir Singh told a news conference.

The National Council of Canadian Muslims chief executive, Stephen Brown, speaking alongside Singh, added: “This assassination was an attack on all of us as Canadians. This is why we must take action.”

New Delhi has consistently expressed its dissatisfaction with Sikh separatist activities in Canada and has urged Ottawa to take action against individuals with anti-Indian affiliations.

Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a proponent of establishing an independent Sikh homeland known as Khalistan in India’s northern state of Punjab, which shares a border with Pakistan, was designated as a “terrorist” by India in 2020.

Canada boasts the largest Sikh population outside Punjab, with approximately 770,000 individuals identifying Sikhism as their religion in the 2021 census.

The presence of Sikh protesters in Canada has been a sensitive issue for India, with some Indian analysts suggesting that Ottawa may not curtail them due to the political influence of Sikhs.

The United States and Australia have expressed “deep concern” over Canada’s allegations.

US authorities have called upon India to cooperate with the investigation, as conveyed by a senior State Department official during a news briefing on Tuesday.

While Canada and India have been working to enhance their relatively low levels of bilateral trade, which amounted to just C$13.7 billion ($10.2 billion) in 2022 out of Canada’s total of C$1.52 trillion, both nations have announced the suspension of trade talks.

On the other hand, Britain has indicated its intention to continue trade negotiations with India despite the allegations.

Canada’s Trudeau demands answers in Sikh leader’s assassination

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