OTTAWA Canada mentioned on Monday it had credible data linking Indian authorities brokers to the homicide of a Sikh chief in British Columbia in June and mentioned it had expelled a senior Indian intelligence official.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau mentioned any involvement of a overseas authorities within the killing of a Canadian citizen was “an unacceptable violation of our sovereignty”.
Hardeep Singh Nijjar, was shot lifeless outdoors a Sikh temple in Surrey, British Columbia, on June 18.
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Nijjar supported a Sikh homeland within the type of an unbiased Khalistani state and been branded by India as a “terrorist,” the Canadian Broadcasting Corp mentioned.
“Canadian safety businesses have been actively pursuing credible allegations of a possible hyperlink between brokers of the federal government of India and the killing of a Canadian citizen, Hardeep Singh Nijjar,” Trudeau mentioned in an emergency assertion to the Home of Commons parliamentary chamber.
“Canada has declared its deep issues to the highest intelligence and safety officers of the Indian authorities. Final week on the G20 I introduced them personally and on to Prime Minister Modi in no unsure phrases.”
New Delhi mentioned final week that Modi had conveyed robust issues about protests in Canada in opposition to India to Trudeau.
Overseas Minister Melanie Joly advised reporters that Ottawa had expelled the Indian head of intelligence in Canada however gave no additional particulars.
Canada has the very best inhabitants of Sikhs outdoors their residence state of Punjab in India, and the nation has been the positioning of many protests which have irked India.
India’s response
India on Tuesday termed Canada’s allegations that Indian authorities brokers had been linked to the homicide of a Sikh separatist chief within the nation “absurd and motivated”.
“Comparable allegations had been made by the Canadian prime minister to our prime minister, and had been fully rejected,” India’s overseas ministry mentioned in an announcement.
Factbox
Listed here are some current examples of uneasy ties between the 2 nations:
Sept 2023: Canadian Commerce Minister Mary Ng postponed a commerce mission to India deliberate for October. Each nations mentioned they paused commerce talks after expressing earlier in 2023 they aimed to seal an preliminary commerce deal this 12 months.
Bilateral business relations between the 2 nations are price $100 billion, which incorporates $70 billion of Canadian portfolio funding, in response to Indian figures.
Sept 2023: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi conveyed robust issues about protests in Canada in opposition to India to Trudeau on the sidelines of the G20 summit in New Delhi.
Whereas a Sikh insurgency was suppressed in India within the Nineties, authorities have been cautious of any revival of agitation, with a selected deal with small teams of Sikhs in Canada, who help the separatist demand and infrequently stage protests outdoors Indian embassies.
June 2023: India’s overseas minister, S. Jaishankar, hit out at Canada for permitting a float in a parade depicting the 1984 assassination of then-Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by her bodyguards, perceived to be glorification of violence by Sikh separatists.
Indira Gandhi was assassinated in 1984 by two Sikh bodyguards after she allowed the storming of the holiest Sikh temple, aimed toward flushing out Sikh separatists who demanded an unbiased homeland to be often called Khalistan. The storming of the temple had angered Sikhs world wide.
March 2023: India summoned Canada’s Excessive Commissioner to convey concern over pro-Khalistan protesters in Canada who breached the safety of India’s diplomatic mission and consulates.
