The diplomatic flare-up between India and Canada over the killing of the Sikh nationalist leader shows no signs of being resolved after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau blamed “agents of the government of India” for orchestrating the shooting. A subsequent federal indictment in New York linked the Indian government to a failed murder-for-hire-plot against another Sikh separatist
By Kenneth Tiven
Three Indian citizens are alleged to be the team that assassinated Khalistan separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in the parking lot of his gurdwara in the city of Surrey, British Columbia, Canada. According to court documents, Karanpreet Singh, Kamalpreet Singh and Karan Brar have been charged with first-degree murder
and one count of conspiracy to commit murder. Canadian authorities have, however, not specifically connected the trio to the government of India.
That killing set off a diplomatic clash with New Delhi after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau blamed “agents of the government of India” for orchestrating the shooting. “Absurd” said the Indian government initiating actions that meant Canada had to withdraw more than 40 of its diplomats. In clarification, Canada said it had a “smoking gun”, supported by information from the United States. A subsequent federal indictment in New York linked the Indian government to a failed murder-for-hire-plot against another Sikh separatist.
This entire issue became an international incident when Trudeau told Canada’s parliament that Nijjar’s murder may have been done by Indian government agents. Trudeau briefly raised the issue by telling Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a G20 meeting, last year. “Any involvement of a foreign government in the killing of a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil is an unacceptable violation of our sovereignty,” he said.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs then “completely rejected” Trudeau’s claims which it described as “absurd” and politically motivated. It accused Canada of providing shelter to “Khalistani terrorists and extremists” who threaten India’s security by seeking an independent Punjab nation. “We urge the government of Canada to take prompt and effective legal action against all anti-India elements operating from their soil,” the Indian ministry said.
Nijjar became influential within the Sikh temple a decade ago, shifting it towards a more intense position on the issue of separatism. Today, the yellow flags of a theoretical Khalistan are around the grounds of the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara near Vancouver. This is the largest temple in British Columbia which is the centre of the Sikh diaspora in Canada.
The arrested trio are reportedly Indian citizens who came to Canada after 2021 using student visas. However, according to Canadian news reports, they neither pursued education nor applied for permanent residency. Investigators suggest that the group could also be tied to three other murders in Canada.
—The writer has worked in senior positions at The Washington Post, NBC, ABC and CNN and also consults for several Indian channels