Canada believes that India might have had a role in the killing of a Sikh activist in Canada. This has caused tensions between Canada and India, leading to the expulsion of senior diplomats from both countries. As a result, the relationship between the two nations has worsened.
The diplomatic expulsions happened because Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Canada is looking into claims that suggest India might be involved in the murder of a Canadian citizen and important Sikh leader named Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
In recent weeks, Canadian security agencies have been investigating claims that people from the Indian government may have been involved in the murder of a Canadian citizen named Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Justin Trudeau, the Prime Minister, stated in parliament on Monday that his government will do everything necessary to bring those responsible for the murder to justice.
Canada announced that it has expelled an Indian diplomat, whom the foreign affairs minister Mélanie Joly claimed to be the leader of Indian intelligence agency in Canada.
“Today we are removing an important diplomat, but we will investigate and find out the truth,” she said to the media in Ottawa. She also mentioned that Trudeau has discussed this matter with both US President Joe Biden and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
India’s foreign ministry replied by expelling a Canadian diplomat who held a high position in India.
The diplomat has been told to leave India in the next five days, according to a statement. The Indian government is worried about Canadian diplomats getting involved in our internal affairs and doing things against India. That’s why they made this decision.
Nijjar, a well-known Sikh leader in western Canada, was killed by two masked gunmen outside a Sikh temple in Surrey, British Columbia.
The Sikh community in Canada, which is one of the biggest communities outside of India and has over 770,000 members, was both surprised and angry about his death.
After Trudeau spoke, two important Sikh organizations in Canada, the British Columbia Gurdwaras Council (BCGC) and Ontario Gurdwaras Committee (OGC), asked the Canadian government to stop working together with India on intelligence, investigations, and prosecution right away.
The groups said that Canada’s response should match the seriousness of India’s involvement in the planned killing of a Sikh dissident living in Canada.
Nijjar strongly supported the idea of creating a separate place for Sikhs called Khalistan. He frequently led peaceful protests against the violation of human rights happening in India and in support of Khalistan.
The Khalistan movement is not allowed in India and the government sees it as a danger to the country’s safety. Many groups connected to the movement are regarded as “terrorist organizations” according to India’s Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
Nijjar was included in the Home Ministry’s list of terrorists under the UAPA.
In 2020, the Indian National Investigation Agency said that he tried to influence Sikhs worldwide to support the creation of Khalistan. They also said he tried to encourage Sikhs to vote for separation, protest against the Indian government, and engage in violent actions.
India said they did not agree with Trudeau’s claims and thought they were silly and biased.
“We are a country that believes in democracy and strongly follows rules and laws,” a statement from the foreign ministry said.
These false claims are trying to divert attention from the fact that Canada is harboring and supporting Khalistani terrorists and extremists who are a danger to India’s control over its own land and people. The fact that the Canadian Government has not taken any action on this issue has been a problem for a long time and it continues to be a concern.
The White House is very worried about the accusations, according to a spokesperson for the National Security Council named Adrienne Watson.
We keep talking to our Canadian friends on a regular basis. She stated that it is very important for Canada to continue the investigation and for the people who did the crime to be punished.
The Canadian police have not taken anyone into custody related to Nijjar’s murder. However, in August, the police said that they were looking into three possible suspects and provided information about a potential vehicle used to escape the crime scene. They also requested assistance from the public.
A person speaking on behalf of Australia’s foreign minister, Penny Wong, said that the country is also very worried about the accusations.
We are working closely with our partners to stay updated on the progress and changes. We have expressed our worries to high-ranking officials in India, according to a statement shared with CNN.
We know that these reports might worry some communities in Australia. The Indian diaspora is important to our diverse society, and they contribute positively. In our country, everyone can freely express their opinions without fear.
The Canadian government is accusing the Indian government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This is likely to make the relationship between Canada and India even worse.
A trade deal that was happening between them has been stopped for now, said India’s commerce and trade minister, as reported locally. The minister mentioned that there are some important concerns that need to be looked into.
The problem of activism among the big Sikh community in Canada has been causing tension for a while.
When Modi met with the G20 leaders in New Delhi recently, he didn’t have a private meeting with Trudeau. Instead, they met during the summit, where Modi expressed his worries about extremist activities in Canada. The Indian government made a statement about it.
The two leaders have not been getting along for many years.
In 2018, Trudeau went to India. Many people thought that his schedule, which didn’t have many important meetings, was considered a disrespect by the Indian government.
At that time, experts believed that Trudeau’s perceived support for Sikh activists was a major issue of disagreement.
In 2017, the leader of Canada was seen at a gathering of Sikhs in Toronto. At the event, there were flags and posters supporting a Sikh leader who was killed in a military operation by the Indian Army in 1984.
The Indian government is worried that Canadian politicians openly show support for these people who Trudeau accused.
The statement mentioned that illegal activities like murders, human trafficking, and organized crime have been happening for a while in Canada. We want the Canadian Government to quickly and effectively take legal action against anyone who is against India and lives in Canada.
The Sikh religion started in Punjab, a place in India, in the 15th century. Guru Nanak was the one who started it. Now, there are around 25 million people who follow Sikhism all over the world. In India, Sikhs make up less than 2% of the population, which is about 1. 4However, in the northern state of Punjab, they are the majority. Punjab used to have a strong Sikh empire in the past.
The modern Khalistan movement started around the time when India gained independence from Britain in 1947. During this time, some Sikhs wanted to create a separate nation called Khalistan in the state of Punjab for people who follow the Sikh religion.
When the Partition quickly split the old colony based on religion – Muslims went to Pakistan and Hindus and Sikhs went to India – Punjab, which was divided in two, experienced severe violence.
During this period, Sikhs started to fight more intensely for control over their own politics and culture, according to experts. The Khalistan movement became more well-known.
In the past, there have been fights between the movement’s supporters and the Indian government, where many people have died.
In 1984, Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi gave an order to the army to attack the Golden Temple in Amritsar. The Golden Temple is a very important place for the Sikh religion. She did this because she wanted to kill Sikh people who wanted to separate from India. The Sikh community was really mad about that action, and Gandhi was killed by her Sikh bodyguards afterwards.
After she died, there was a lot of violent fighting that resulted in the deaths of more than 3,000 people, most of whom were Sikh.
A year afterwards, the violence moved to Canada. Sikh separatists exploded a bomb on an Air India plane that had recently left from Toronto airport. This resulted in the death of all 329 people on board, including many Canadians with Indian heritage.
Khalistan supporters in India have little support, but some Sikhs living in other countries like Canada, Britain, and Australia still sympathize with the movement.
A few Sikhs believe in Khalistan, where they want to have their own separate country. They hold votes every now and then to try to agree on making this happen.