Canada, India relations disintegrate over Hardeep Singh Nijjar’s unsolved murder

ONTARIO, CANADA (Diya TV) — Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in a public address to his Parliament and the Canadian people Monday said his government is investigating “a potential link between agents of the government of India” and the death of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, the leader of Sikhs for Justice in Canada and the Khalistan Tiger Force — a man the Indian government deemed a ‘terrorist.’

Nijjar was also the president of a Sikh Gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia, the venue outside of which he was shot and killed this summer by gunmen that are still at large.

The bold public action comes just a week after Trudeau met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the G20 in New Delhi, referencing Nijjar’s death. Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly says a high-level Indian diplomat, Pavan Kumar Rai, has been expelled from Canada over Nijjar’s killing.

Canadian Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre appealed to Canadian citizens to remain calm as the investigation into the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar continues. Poilievre condemned the murder and asked the Indian government for transparency.

In reaction to the allegations, NDP leader Jagmeet Singh says he will hold Indian Prime Minister “Narendra Modi accountable” in a statement released on X (formerly Twitter).

Late Monday, India reacted with a statement of their own that fully rejects Trudeau’s insinuation, saying “allegations of Government of India’s involvement in any act of violence in Canada are absurd and motivated. Similar allegations were made by the Canadian Prime Minister to our Prime Minister, and were completely rejected.

We are a democratic polity with a strong commitment to rule of law.

Such unsubstantiated allegations seek to shift the focus from Khalistani terrorists and extremists, who have been provided shelter in Canada and continue to threaten India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. The inaction of the Canadian Government on this matter has been a long-standing and continuing concern.”

Shortly thereafter, India summoned Canadian High Commissioner to India, Cameron MacKay, who was informed India is expelling a senior Canadian diplomat based in India in turn.

Relations between India and Canada have been strained for many years over Khalistan separatist activity emanating from Canada, which is blamed for the bombing of an Air India flight 182 departing from Canada in 1985, that killed 329 people, the world’s second deadliest act of aviation terrorism after 9/11.