India is claimed to have been involved in the demise of a Sikh leader in Canada
Early this week, Ottawa, the capital of Canada, stated that it is following credible information that Indian government agents are related to the death of a Sikh separatist leader. The Sikh leader died early this year, in June, in British Columbia. His death led to the worsening of diplomatic ties between the two countries.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau addressed the House of Commons in an emergency statement. He states that the involvement of a foreign agency in the death of a Canadian citizen is unacceptable and questions Canada’s sovereignty.
Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a 45-year-old man from Surrey, was shot outside a Sikh temple on June 18th. Surrey is a Vancouver suburb that houses a large Sikh population. Nijjar supported the idea of forming a separate Sikh homeland known as Khalistan. India labeled Nijjar a terrorist in 2020.
Trudeau states that Canadian government officials have traced credible sources linking Indian government agents to Nijjar’s death. Trudeau said that he raised the case of Nijjar with PM Modi on the G20 sidelines. He urged India to cooperate on the matter, to get to the bottom of it.
Canada has discussed its concerns with the top security officials in India. Trudeau has discussed these issues with Prime Minister Modi in great depth.
Canada has expelled the top Indian government agents from the country. Foreign Minister Melanie Joly has not provided further details on the matter. The Ottawa Indian High Commission was unable to comment.
Trudeau’s statement has caused cracks in the shaky foundation between Canada and India. The rampant Sikh separatist activity in Canada upsets New Delhi. Previously, at the G20 summit, Modi expressed concerns over the Sikh protests in Canada.
Canada and India’s Trade ties
The uncertain diplomatic relations have also affected the trade ties between the two countries. Early this year, the Canadian government suspended all trade talks with India. Canada gave no official reason. India cited political developments.
Bilateral trade between the two countries amounted to only C$13.7 billion. The overall trade amounted to C$1.52 trillion.