Canada yet to share evidence of 'Indian involvement' in Singh killing
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Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a prominent Sikh figure, was killed on June 18 in Surrey, British Columbia, sending India-Canada ties to a new low.
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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau takes part in a bilateral meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the G20 summit in New Delhi, India on September 10, 2023. (AP)
As pressure exerted on Canada to provide proof of an extraterritorial assassination on its soil increased, media reports claimed that the government reportedly owns intelligence tying Indian officials and diplomats to the crime.
Communications involving Indian officials, including Indian diplomats working inside Canada, were allegedly among the information gathered in the months-long investigation into the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) reported on Thursday.
The CBC report said, citing Canadian sources, that no Indian official in closed-door meetings with Canadian officials refuted the allegations that there is evidence suggesting Indian government involvement in Nijjar's death.
India's Ministry of External Affairs did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment on the CBC report.]
The Guardian too could not independently verify the CBC’s reporting.
Days ago, Canada expelled a high-ranking Indian diplomat while conducting an investigation into what Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has described as "credible accusations" suggesting potential connections between the Indian government and the assassination of a Sikh activist within Canada. India, in response, dismissed these allegations as "absurd".
During a parliamentary session on Monday, Trudeau revealed that Canadian intelligence agencies have been actively investigating the allegations. These concerns arose following the assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a prominent advocate for an independent Sikh homeland called Khalistan. Nijjar was fatally shot on June 18 outside a Sikh cultural center located in Surrey, British Columbia.
BREAKING | PM @JustinTrudeau confirms today in Parliament that Canadian intelligence believes that the Indian state was involved in the unprecedented assassination of Canadian Hardeep Singh Nijjar on Canadian soil.
— Baaz (@BaazNewsOrg) September 18, 2023
Trudeau called extrajudicial actions by India a serious… pic.twitter.com/Sx50KsZVcA
The Canadian Prime Minister is being pressured to release the "credible allegations" that his government has yet to share.
During the UN summit in New York on Thursday, Trudeau expressed Canada was not looking to provoke or cause problems and wished India would cooperate with Canadian authorities to "uncover the truth" behind the killing.
“That is why we call upon the government of India to work with us to establish processes, to uncover the truth of the matter and allow justice and accountability to be served.”
A matter of concern for the White House
Jake Sullivan told reporters that the US called the issue a "matter of concern" for the White House, claiming that "regardless of the country, we will stand up and defend our basic principles and we will also consult closely with allies like Canada as they pursue their law enforcement and diplomatic process.”
India has suspended visa processing in Canada, putting thousands of people, including a sizable diaspora, on hold.
Arindam Bagchi, a spokesperson for India’s Foreign Ministry, said at a media briefing that there are security threats being faced by Indian consulates in Canada, while Canada’s Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland rejected similar measures, stating that the situation was not about "geopolitics" but rather the safety of Canadians and "the rule of law."
Bagchi accused Canada of housing “elements linked to organized crime, linked to terrorists, secessionists or extremists who are operating freely, are being politically condoned, they seem to have a free run."
India upgraded its travel advice for Canada, telling its residents residing and traveling in the country to exercise "extreme caution" in light of "growing anti-India activities and politically condoned hate crimes."
Canada's own travel alert for its citizens visiting India warns of a "threat of terrorist attack throughout the country."
