The Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, has accused Indian government agents of involvement in the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar. On Monday, at the House of Commons in Ottawa, Prime Minister Trudeau stated that Canada possesses credible information regarding the links between Indian agents and Nijjar’s death.
Trudeau said in the Canadian parliament, “Any involvement of a foreign government in the killing of a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil is an unacceptable violation of our sovereignty.”
Who Killed Hardeep Singh Nijjar?
On June 18, 2023, a shooting case was reported by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) at the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara in Canada’s Surrey. The victim was identified as the chief of the banned group, the Khalistani Tiger Force (KTF).
Najjar was shot dead by the unidentified gunman, and he died on the spot. The death of Nijjar caused a lot of outrage in Canada and in parts of the world where the Khalistani groups are active. Canada is home to various such groups that openly promote the division of India and the creation of Khalistan.
India’s response to Canadian PM
As per the recent development, the Canadian government has expelled an Indian diplomat in relation to the killing. Meanwhile, India has reacted to the allegations and termed them as “absurd and motivated”.
The statement read “We have seen and reject the statement of the Canadian Prime Minister in their Parliament, as also the statement by their Foreign Minister. Allegations of the Government of India’s involvement in any act of violence in Canada are absurd and motivated,” a statement released by the Indian government on Tuesday said. It further urged the government of Canada to “take prompt and effective legal action against all anti-India elements operating from their soil.”
Also in response to the Canadian government’s expulsion of an Indian diplomat. The government of India hit back and expelled a senior Canadian diplomat and asked him to leave the country in the next five days.
Who was Hardeep Singh Nijjar?
At the time of death, Hardeep Singh Nijjar was 45 years old and was the chief of the pro-Khalistani group named Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF). He hails from Bharsinghpur village of Jalandhar, Punjab. Nijjar went to Canada in 1996.
During his initial days in Canada, he worked as a Plumber and in just a few years there was a huge shift in his wealth and lifestyle. The involvement of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in pro-khalistani activities began when he joined Babbar Khalsa International, led by Jagtar Singh Tara.
Subsequently, he established his own group, the Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF). He played a significant role in identifying, connecting, training, and funding Khalistani cells in India, accumulating over 10 FIRs against him.
