Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau denounced this Monday the involvement of the Indian government in the murder of a Sikh leader last June in the province of British Columbia. During a parliamentary session, Trudeau said that if India’s involvement was confirmed, it would constitute an “unacceptable violation of the country’s sovereignty.” Trudeau stressed that Canadian security agencies have been studying links to this crime for several weeks…

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau denounced this Monday the involvement of the Indian government in the murder of a Sikh leader last June in the province of British Columbia. During a parliamentary session, Trudeau said that if India’s involvement was confirmed, it would constitute an “unacceptable violation of the country’s sovereignty.” Trudeau stressed that Canadian security agencies had been studying the links between this crime and the work of New Delhi agents for several weeks.

“Action of this type goes against the fundamental rules that govern free, open and democratic societies,” the Prime Minister said. To which he added that the protection of Canadian citizens represents a matter of the utmost importance. Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, reported minutes after Trudeau’s statements that an Indian diplomat had been expelled over alleged links to the assassination. Joly also requested the highest cooperation from the Indian authorities in this matter.

Hardeep Singh Nijjar was shot dead on June 18 outside a Sikh temple in the city of Surrey, British Columbia. Singh Nijjar, holder of a Canadian passport, was a recognized leader of this community and campaigned for the independence of the state of Punjab, which borders Pakistan.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police continue to search for two masked men in connection with this crime. The suspects fled in a 2008 Toyota Camry.

The religious leader has been charged with conspiracy to commit murder and terrorism in India. The Indian government has said in the past that it had nothing to do with the assassination of the Sikh leader in Canada. For their part, the opposition parties expressed their support for the Trudeau government in this matter.

For decades, India has accused Canada of being too accommodating towards the actors of this movement. Trudeau also indicated on Monday that he had directly raised the issue with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his trip to New Delhi for the G20 leaders’ meeting. He also said he had contacted senior officials in India’s security apparatus.

The Trudeau government’s accusations against New Delhi could open a new period of tensions between the two countries. Canada has a complex relationship with China, notably due to the arrest of Meng Wanzhou, vice-president of Huawei, in December 2018 at Vancouver airport at the request of Washington. After several negotiations, Meng was released in September 2021.

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