Murder of Nijjar causes conflict between India and Canada
Supporters of the United Hindu Front demonstrate against Justin Trudeau, the prime minister of Canada, in New Delhi, India | Source: Flickr
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that the country was looking into “credible allegations” of Indian government involvement in the June murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar on September 18. The death of Nijjar, a Sikh independence supporter and Canadian Citizen, has exacerbated the schism between India and Canada. Sikh organizations in Canada have described Nijjar as a human rights activist, while Indian authorities have deemed him a criminal. India claims Canada’s accusations of killing Hardeep Singh Nijar are absurd and “politically motivated.” The Indian government states that Canada is harboring "extremists and terrorists" who "continue to threaten India's sovereignty and territorial integrity." Moreover, India’s Ministry of External Affairs responded that the “unsubstantiated allegations” sought to shift focus away from “Khalistani terrorists and extremists who have been provided shelter in Canada.”
India’s conflict with Canada dates back to early 2023, when India expelled the senior Canadian ambassador. It occurred hours after Ottawa fired a top Indian official as tensions between the two nations escalated over Nijjar’s death.
Nijjar, the president of his local Sikh temple, was shot numerous times as he was leaving the temple’s parking lot in British Columbia, according to Canadian police. He died at the scene. Following the murder, Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, an attorney and representative for Sikhs For Justice, claimed that Nijjar had received threats due to his involvement in the Khalistan movement. Nijjar was the second prominent Sikh community leader in Canada to be assassinated in the last two years. His murdered followed the murders of Ripudaman Singh Malik and co-defendant Ajaib Singh Bagri, who were declared not guilty of murder and conspiracy in connection with two Air India explosions on June 23, 1985. Nijjar told Pannun, who claimed to have spoken to Nijjar by phone the day before his assassination, that Canadian intelligence had warned him of a threat to his life.
The Indian government declared Nijjar a wanted man after, according to Indian media in 2016, they suspected him of masterminding a bombing in the Sikh-majority state of Punjab and training terrorists in a small city southeast of Vancouver. Nijjar denied the charges. Moreover, the Indian police declared Nijjar a terrorist in 2020 after they alleged he was a member of a prohibited militant group. They also filed a criminal case against him that year as farmers from Punjab camped out on the outskirts of New Delhi to protest problematic agriculture policies. Last year, Indian officials accused Nijjar of being involved in an attack on a Hindu priest in India, offering a $16,000 reward for information leading to his arrest.
About 200 Sikh protesters from Canada gathered in front of the Indian Consulate in Vancouver to show their support for Nijjar nearly a week after his murder. The demonstrators believed Nijjar's murder was related to his requests for an independent Sikh state, a sentiment many Punjabis share in response to India’s Hindu-centric politics in recent years.
Following Trudeau's statement to parliament earlier this month that Canadian intelligence believed Indian government operatives were involved in the assassination, relations between India and Canada have significantly deteriorated. Trudeau stated, "Any involvement of a foreign government in the killing of a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil is an unacceptable violation of our sovereignty." He also mentioned that Canada would put pressure on India to assist with the investigation into Nijjar's death. The incident has placed the United States in a difficult diplomatic position between Canada and India, two of its close allies.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken says he pleaded with India to cooperate with Canada in an investigation into the murder. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, the foreign minister of India, confirmed that he had spoken to Blinken and Jake Sullivan, the U.S. national security advisor, regarding Canadian claims that New Delhi may have been involved in the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada in June.
On September 26, Blinken and Jaishankar had a meeting at the State Department. "We have been in close contact with Canada about that and at the same time we have engaged with the Indian government and urged them to work with Canada on an investigation," Blinken said. He added, “Those responsible need to be held accountable, and we hope that our friends in both Canada and India will work together to resolve this matter."