OTTAWA: Canada has put India “on notice” as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau presents what he describes as “credible allegations” linking the Indian government to the murder of Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia.
In September 2023, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made explosive allegations in Parliament saying that Canadian authorities were investigating “credible allegations” linking Indian officials to the assassination.
India reacted vehemently, dismissing the claims as absurd and denying any involvement. The diplomatic fallout was immediate, with both nations expelling diplomats and India suspending visa services for Canadian citizens for a month.
The situation has escalated further. Canadian police officials have leveled even more serious accusations, alleging that Indian diplomats and consular staff are part of a criminal network led by a notorious gangster. In a public inquiry, Trudeau declared that Canada could not “accept this fundamental violation of its sovereignty.” Recently, Canada’s Foreign Minister issued a warning to India’s remaining diplomats, suggesting they could face expulsion if it was determined that they had jeopardized Canadian lives.
To delve deeper into this complex story, I spoke with Hannah Ellis-Petersen, the Guardian’s South Asia correspondent, who elaborated on the myriad allegations against India.
Canada is not alone in scrutinizing the Indian government’s potential involvement in targeting dissidents. Last year, U.S. investigators claimed to have thwarted an alleged assassination attempt on an American Sikh activist, purportedly orchestrated by Indian officials. The U.S. Justice Department identified Vikash Yadav as the spy responsible for directing the plot, while the Drug Enforcement Administration accused him of using his position to facilitate the attempted murder of an outspoken critic of the Indian government on American soil. Earlier this year, a cross-party group of U.K. politicians sought an urgent meeting with then-Security Minister Tom Tugendhat amid reports of “threat to life warnings” being issued to British Sikhs.
The activists targeted by the Indian government are often linked to the Khalistan movement, which seeks to establish a separate homeland for Sikhs in the northwestern Indian state of Punjab. Although the movement gained momentum in the 1970s and 80s, it largely diminished domestically in subsequent decades. However, the Indian government still views it as a security threat, concerned that online groups operated by separatists in Canada could reignite unrest in Punjab.
Hannah notes that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) promotes a singular nationalist identity for India, perceiving movements like Khalistan as significant challenges to this narrative.
In Canada, which has the largest Sikh population outside India, there remains substantial support for the Khalistan movement. The refusal to extradite vocal activists has long strained relations between Canada and India, but Trudeau’s recent comments have created a profound diplomatic rupture. Over the past year, India has launched a vigorous campaign to label Canada as a nation harboring terrorists and actors hostile to the Indian state.
The recent statements from Canadian police mark a significant escalation in the allegations. Initially, Indian diplomats were merely considered persons of interest in Nijjar’s killing—three Indian nationals have since been arrested in connection with the case. Now, Canadian authorities assert that Indian officials are involved in a larger criminal network, allegedly orchestrated by gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, that systematically harasses and intimidates those associated with the Khalistani movement. This includes accusations of surveillance, targeted attacks, and killings of Canadian Sikhs.
Trudeau revealed that he had recently spoken with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a meeting in Singapore, where Canadian officials presented intelligence and evidence supporting their claims. However, India continues to reject the evidence, accusing the Canadian government of leveraging the allegations for political gain among its substantial Sikh community while refusing to engage in what it deems a smear campaign.
As tensions rise, the ramifications of these allegations are likely to reshape diplomatic relations between Canada and India, as both nations grapple with the implications of these serious charges.
