Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau revealed this Monday that the country’s intelligence services implicate Indian authorities in the murder in Canada from a leader of the Sikh community. “Any involvement of a foreign government in the murder of a Canadian on Canadian soil is an unacceptable violation of our sovereignty,” he said in the Lower House of the Canadian Parliament.
Following Trudeau’s statement, Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Melanie Jollyannounced the expulsion of a “Indian key diplomat, the person responsible for Indian intelligence in the country. Canada “will not tolerate any form of interference” and the Government “will protect the sovereignty of Canada“, held.
The prime minister added that Canada “has conveyed its deep concerns to the highest security and government officials in India” about the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjarwhich occurred last June in the town of Surrey, in western Canada.
Singh Nijjar, shot by unknown assailants in the parking lot of a Sikh temple, had been accused of terrorism by the Indian authorities for advocating the creation in the state of Punjab of an independent country, Khalistan, for the Sikh minority.
Trudeau informed the country’s main political leaders on Monday of the conclusions of the Canadian intelligence services on India’s involvement in the assassination and stated that during the G20 summit, held in India on September 9 and 10, he demanded explanations. to his Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi. “In the most energetic way possible, I recommend to the Government of India to collaborate with Canada to get to the bottom of this matter.”said the president, who described what happened as “extremely serious.”
On September 1, the Canadian Government announced the suspension of talks with India for the signing of a free trade agreement, without explaining the reasons. Canada has also canceled a trade mission to India which should have been carried out in October.
About 1.8 million people of Indian origin live in Canada, of which about 770,000 are Sikhs. The leader of the social democratic New Democratic Party (NPD), Jagmeet Singhthe fourth party in the Canadian Parliament, is Sikh.
“Absurd” accusation and expulsion
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of India This Tuesday he described the accusation as absurd of the Canadian authorities. “Allegations of the Government of India’s involvement in any act of violence in Canada are absurd and motivated,” Foreign Affairs said in a press release.
According to Indian authorities, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s statements yesterday before Parliament seek to “divert the attention of Khalistani terrorists and extremists,” who seek to create an independent country for the Sikh minority in the Indian state of Punjab.
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The Asian country later announced the expulsion of a senior Canadian diplomatic official in response to the accusation. “Canada’s High Commissioner to India was summoned today and informed of the Government of India’s decision to expel a senior Canadian diplomatic official,” the Asian country’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement. The diplomat must leave India in the coming days, in a move that reflects “the growing concern over interference by Canadian diplomats in our internal affairs,” according to Foreign Affairs.
New Delhi has repeatedly accused Canada of allowing the presence of people who threaten its “territorial integrity”, while Trudeau defended the right to freedom of expression and peaceful demonstration after a tense meeting with Modi during the G20 summit on September 9. and September 10. After the meeting of both leaders, Canada this week postponed its trade mission to India after the paralysis of negotiations for a free trade agreement.