Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau denounced this Monday the involvement of the Government of India in the murder of a Sikh leader last June in the province of British Columbia. In a parliamentary session, Trudeau stated that if India’s involvement was confirmed, it would be an “unacceptable violation of the country’s sovereignty.” Trudeau has stressed that Canadian security agencies have been studying the links between this crime and the work of New Delhi agents for several weeks.
“An action of this type goes against the fundamental rules that govern free, open and democratic societies,” said the prime minister. To which he added that the protection of Canadian citizens represents a matter of utmost importance. Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, reported minutes after Trudeau’s statements that an Indian diplomat was expelled due to alleged links to the assassination. Joly has also asked for the highest collaboration of the Indian authorities in this matter.
Hardeep Singh Nijjar was shot dead on June 18 outside a Sikh temple in the city of Surrey (British Columbia). Singh Nijjar, with a Canadian passport, was a recognized leader of that community and campaigned for the independence of the State of Punjab, bordering Pakistan.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police continues to search for two masked men in connection with this crime. The suspects fled in a 2008 Toyota Camry car.
The religious leader was accused of conspiracy to commit murder and terrorism in India. The Indian Government has expressed in the past that it had nothing to do with the assassination of the Sikh leader in Canada. For their part, opposition parties expressed their support for the Trudeau Government on this matter.
India has accused Canada for decades of being too accommodating to figures in this movement. Trudeau also indicated this Tuesday that he had directly addressed the issue with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his trip to New Delhi for the G-20 leaders’ meeting. He also said that he had contacted senior officials of the Indian security apparatus.
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The Trudeau Government’s accusations towards New Delhi could open a new period of tensions between both countries. Canada has maintained a complex relationship with China, mainly due to the arrest of Meng Wanzhou, vice president of Huawei, in December 2018 at Vancouver airport at the request of Washington. After several negotiations, Meng was released in September 2021.
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