OTTAWA: A Canadian Sikh group has asked its members to stage protests outside Indian diplomatic missions in major Canadian cities on Monday, marking a week since Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau raised concerns about the involvement of Indian government agents in the murder of Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia.
Trudeau had stated last week that Canada was investigating “credible allegations” linking Indian government agents to the killing of Nijjar, who was fatally shot outside a Sikh temple on June 18 in Surrey, a suburb of Vancouver with a significant Sikh population.
India promptly refuted any involvement in the murder, dismissing the allegations as “absurd.” The accusations have led to escalating tensions between the two nations, resulting in the expulsion of diplomats from both sides and New Delhi’s suspension of visas for Canadians.
Jatinder Singh Grewal, a director for Sikh for Justice in Canada, announced on Sunday that his organization would lead protests outside Indian embassies and consulates in Toronto, Ottawa, and Vancouver, with the aim of raising public awareness about Nijjar’s killing. Grewal also called for Canada to expel the Indian ambassador.
Canadian Police Confirm Sikhs Schedule Protests
The Toronto Police Department confirmed the scheduled protests for Monday but declined to disclose specific details about security preparations or potential responses to any violent incidents that may occur during the demonstrations.
Hardeep Singh Nijjar left the northern Indian state of Punjab over two decades ago and obtained Canadian citizenship. He had been an advocate for the establishment of an independent Sikh homeland known as Khalistan, to be formed from the region of Punjab. In July 2020, India designated Nijjar as a “terrorist.”
Recent reports from CBC News indicated that the Canadian government had conducted a months-long investigation into the murder of the Sikh separatist leader, utilizing both human and signals intelligence. The sources remained unidentified but noted that the intelligence included communications involving Indian officials present in Canada. It was also reported that some of this information came from an unnamed ally within the Five Eyes intelligence alliance.
