The pro-Khalistan organization, Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), has called upon Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to expel India’s High Commissioner to Canada, Sanjay Verma, without delay. This request follows Prime Minister Trudeau’s confirmation that the Indian government was responsible for the assassination of Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Vancouver approximately three months ago.
Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a prominent pro-Khalistan Sikh leader and a strong advocate for an independent Sikh homeland known as Khalistan, was the local leader of Sikhs For Justice and the Khalistan Referendum campaign. He was tragically gunned down on June 18 outside a Sikh cultural center in Surrey, British Columbia.
Prime Minister Trudeau addressed the House of Commons regarding this “extremely serious matter,” stating that Canadian security agencies had been actively investigating credible allegations linking the Indian government to the killing of Canadian citizen Hardeep Singh Nijjar. In response to this, Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly announced the expulsion of the head of Indian intelligence in Canada, emphasizing the potential violation of Canada’s sovereignty.
Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, SFJ’s General Counsel and Attorney at Law in New York claimed that Prime Minister Trudeau’s statement in Parliament supports SFJ’s belief of India’s involvement in Nijjar’s assassination due to his leadership in the Canadian Chapter of the Khalistan Referendum. Pannun called for the expulsion of India’s High Commissioner to Canada, Sanjay Verma, in addition to the head of RAW.
Trudeau also mentioned that he had discussed the assassination with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the G-20 summit, emphasizing the unacceptability of any Indian government involvement and requesting cooperation in the investigation.
Canada-India Relations Strained
Canada’s Public Safety Minister, Dominic LeBlanc, revealed that Canada’s national security advisor and the head of Canada’s intelligence agency traveled to India to confront Indian intelligence agencies with these allegations, as part of an active homicide investigation led by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
Tensions between Canada and India have escalated recently, leading to the cancellation of a planned trade mission. Opposition leaders expressed outrage at the potential violation of Canadian sovereignty, while Sikh community members expressed anger and fear, with some believing that speaking out against India’s human rights record might jeopardize their ability to obtain Indian visas.
On September 10th, over 135,000 Canadian Sikhs participated in the Khalistan Referendum at Surrey BC’s Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara. Thousands of local Sikhs cast their votes, displaying posters of Sikh martyrs and voicing support for Khalistan. Gurpatwant Singh Pannun addressed the crowd, stating that the Indian government had declared war on Sikhs through Nijjar’s assassination and vowing to seek justice through democratic means, despite allegations of Indian government involvement.
