TORONTO: Amidst tensions between India and Canada over the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, New Democratic Party (NDP) leader Jagmeet Singh, a former alliance partner of Prime Minister Trudeau, on Monday claimed that Canadian Sikhs were stalked by fear and urged the Canadian government to take action against India, specifically calling for diplomat sanctions.
In a statement, he said, “We support today’s decision to expel India’s diplomats and we’re calling on the Government of Canada yet again to put diplomat sanctions against India in place, ban the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh Network (RSS) in Canada, and commit to pursuing the most severe consequences for anyone found to have participated in organized criminal activity on Canadian soil.”
Singh also said that his party was extremely worried about the information released by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and said, “New Democrats are extremely worried about the information released by the RCMP commissioner today.Canadians, particularly the Sikh community in Canada, have been stalked by fear, threats, harassment and violence-including extortion, violence and electoral interference all allegedly at the hands of Indian officials.”
The Canadian Police (RCMP) on October 14 released a statement on “violent criminal activity occurring in Canada with connections to agents of the Government of India” and addressed four major issues — “Violent extremism impacting both countries (India and Canada); links tying agents of the Government of India (GOI) to homicides and violent acts; the use of organized crime to create a perception of an unsafe environment targeting the South Asian Community in Canada; and interference into democratic processes.”
Singh further alleged that Canada has credible evidence linking Indian officials to the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
“Canada has long held credible evidence that the Narendra Modi government was involved in the murder of Canadian Hardeep Singh Nijjar on Canadian soil, and the United States has already indicted multiple individuals for related crimes – yet NDP had to fight just to have potential subversive activity by India included in the scope of the inquiry into foreign interference,” the statement said.
He added, “Since September 2023, at least 13 people have been warned by the RCMP of grave threats against them. The safety of Canadians has not yet been assured.”
Meanwhile, Melanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Canada, announced the expulsion of six Indian diplomats and consular officials “concerning a targeted campaign against Canadian citizens by agents linked to the Government of India.”
“Keeping Canadians safe is the fundamental job of the Canadian government. The decision to expel these individuals was made with great consideration and only after the RCMP gathered ample, clear and concrete evidence which identified six individuals as persons of interest in the Nijjar case. We continue to ask that the Indian government support the ongoing investigation in the Nijjar case, as it remains in both our countries’ interest to get to the bottom of this,” Joly said in a statement.
Earlier on Monday, India expelled six Canadian diplomats hours after it summoned Canada’s Charge d’Affaires Stewart Wheeler and conveyed that the “baseless targeting” of the Indian High Commissioner and other diplomats and officials in Canada was completely unacceptable.
“The Government of India has decided to expel the following six Canadian Diplomats: Mr. Stewart Ross Wheeler, Acting High Commissioner; Mr. Patrick Hebert, Deputy High Commissioner; Marie Catherine Joly, First Secretary; lan Ross David Trites, First Secretary; Adam James Chuipka, First Secretary; Paula Orjuela, First Secretary,” a Ministry of External Affairs release said.”
They have been asked to leave India by or before 11:59 pm on Saturday, October 19, 2024,” the release added.
In a hard-hitting statement, India said Canadian PM Trudeau’s hostility to India has long been in evidence and his government has consciously provided space to violent extremists and terrorists “to harass, threaten and intimidate Indian diplomats and community leaders in Canada”.
The ties between India and Canada soured after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, in a parliamentary address last year, claimed that he has “credible allegations” of India’s hand in the killing of Khalistterrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
Nijjar, designated a terrorist by India’s National Investigation Agency in 2020, was shot dead outside a gurdwara in Surrey in June 2023. India strongly denied the allegations, calling them “absurd” and “motivated.” It also accused Canada of giving space to extremist and anti-India elements in their country.