The startling accusation was followed by the Canadian foreign minister stating that a high-ranking Indian diplomat has been expelled over the killing.
The Indian government has not yet responded to the accusations. The allegations will likely further deterioraite India-Canada relations, which are alreay at an all-time low due to rising Khalistani activity in Canada.
Emergency statement by Trudeau
“Canada has declared its deep concerns to the top intelligence and security officials of the Indian government,” Trudeau said in an emergency statement to the House of Commons.
Trudeau said he had raised his concerns “personally and directly” to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, at the G20 summit last week in Delhi, about the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was shot dead outside a Sikh temple in Surrey, British Columbia, on June 18.
“Any involvement of a foreign government in the killing of a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil is an unacceptable violation of our sovereignty,” Trudeau said, adding: “It is contrary to the fundamental rules by which free, open and democratic societies conduct themselves.”
Nijjar was a prominent Sikh leader in the province of BC and a vocal backer of a separate Khalistani state. Supporters of his have said that he was a target of threats in the past because of his activism.
India has previously said he was a terrorist and led a militant separatist group.
Trudeau said Canada has expressed its concerns to high level security and intelligence agencies in India, and said he has been working on this issue with Canada’s allies. “I continue to ask with a great deal of firmness that the government of India cooperate with Canada to shed light on this situation,” he said.
(With inputs from agencies)
