Trudeau says ‘credible allegations’ India killed Hardeep Singh Nijjar
Trudeau, talking within the House of Commons on Monday afternoon, didn’t element the allegations. He stated he had taken his “deep concerns” to prime Indian safety and intelligence officers and in addition conveyed them “personally and directly” and “in no uncertain terms” to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the Group of 20 summit this month.
“Any involvement of a foreign government in the killing of a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil is an unacceptable violation of our sovereignty,” he stated. “It is contrary to the fundamental rules by which free, open and democratic societies conduct themselves.”
Trudeau stated Canadian authorities have been coordinating with their allies. He urged the Indian authorities to cooperate with them “to get to the bottom of this matter.”
The Indian High Commission in Canada — the equal of an embassy amongst Commonwealth nations — didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.
Melanie Joly, Canada’s international minister, informed reporters Monday that she had ordered the expulsion of an Indian diplomat whom she known as “the head” of Indian intelligence in Canada. She stated Trudeau had raised the difficulty with President Biden and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, and that it could be a subject of debate on the U.N. General Assembly in New York this week.
Dominic Leblanc, Canada’s public security minister, informed reporters that Canadian safety officers had made a number of journeys to India in current weeks to satisfy with their counterparts about Nijjar’s slaying. He didn’t straight reply repeated questions on whether or not Indian authorities are hindering Canada’s investigation.
Canada is dwelling to one of many world’s largest Sikh diaspora communities, and Nijjar’s homicide on June 18 rattled it. Police known as the incident “targeted,” and his lawyer informed local media that he had been warned by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service of threats towards him.
The killing sparked protests in Canada and overseas, and a few Sikhs stated they believed the Indian authorities, which had labeled Nijjar a “terrorist,” was concerned.
“The significance of today’s announcement cannot be understated for Sikhs,” Tejinder Singh Sidhu, president of the World Sikh Organization of Canada, stated in an announcement. “Today, the prime minister of Canada has publicly said what Sikhs in Canada have known for decades — India actively targets Sikhs in Canada.”
Trudeau on Monday acknowledged that members of the Indo-Canadian group “are feeling angry or perhaps frightened.”
“Let us not allow this to change us,” he stated. “Let us remain calm and steadfast in our commitment to our democratic principles and our adherence to the rule of law.”
The prime minister’s announcement got here amid a backdrop of strained ties between Canada and India. Canadian officers stated this week that they had canceled a long-planned commerce mission to Mumbai subsequent month. Modi didn’t maintain an official bilateral assembly with Trudeau in the course of the Group of 20 summit, however chided him on the sidelines, based on New Delhi.
Modi conveyed “strong concerns about continuing anti-India activities of extremist elements in Canada,” India’s ministry of exterior affairs stated in an announcement on Sept. 10. “They are promoting secessionism and inciting violence against Indian diplomats, damaging diplomatic premises and threatening the Indian community in Canada and their places of worship.”