India’s High Commissioner to Canada rejects allegations in Nijjar Killing, accuses Canada of supporting extremists
- In Reports
- 11:55 AM, Oct 21, 2024
- Myind Staff
India’s High Commissioner to Canada, Sanjay Kumar Verma, has unequivocally denied any involvement in the assassination of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in 2023. He rejected the accusations as “politically motivated” and without any evidence, further accusing the Canadian government of harbouring and encouraging Khalistani extremists. Verma’s comments came during an interview with Canadian broadcaster CTV News on Sunday, following a series of escalating diplomatic tensions between India and Canada over the case.
When asked directly whether he had any role in the assassination of Nijjar, Verma replied, “Nothing at all, no evidence presented, politically motivated.” His remarks came in response to allegations that Indian government agents were involved in criminal activities on Canadian soil, including links to Nijjar’s killing. Canadian authorities had previously stated that they were investigating possible involvement of Indian operatives in the murder, which has strained relations between the two countries.
Nijjar, a Canadian citizen and a prominent figure in the Khalistan movement, was shot and killed outside a Sikh temple in Surrey, British Columbia, in June 2023. He was an outspoken advocate for Khalistan, a movement seeking to establish an independent Sikh state in India’s Punjab region. The Indian government has consistently viewed the movement as a threat to its national security and Nijjar was designated a terrorist by India’s National Investigation Agency (NIA) in 2020.
Following Nijjar’s assassination, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government took a firm stance, expelling six Indian diplomats and consular officials, including Verma, after identifying them as “persons of interest” in the investigation. The expulsion marked a significant diplomatic rift, as Canada sought to investigate whether Indian agents were responsible for the killing. The Canadian government also announced in September 2023 that it was investigating credible allegations of Indian involvement in the assassination, further intensifying the diplomatic crisis.
Verma, however, has categorically denied all charges, stating that no concrete evidence has been presented to support the allegations. He has accused the Canadian government of being politically motivated in its actions. “India is committed not to do extrajudicial killings on any territory,” Verma emphasised during the CTV interview. He repeatedly stated that neither he nor the Indian government had been shown any evidence linking them to the crime.
The allegations have brought the issue of Khalistani extremism back into the spotlight, and Verma did not shy away from addressing the matter. He accused the Canadian government of fostering an environment in which Khalistani extremists are allowed to thrive. “Khalistani extremists are being encouraged all the time. This is my allegation, I also know that some of these Khalistani extremists and terrorists are deep assets of CSIS [Canadian Security Intelligence Service], again I'm not giving any evidence,” Verma said. His remarks suggest that India believes Canadian intelligence is either complicit or turning a blind eye to the activities of pro-Khalistan elements within the country.
Verma urged the Canadian government to take his concerns about these extremist groups seriously. “We only want the Canadian regime of the day, government of the day to understand my core concerns sincerely rather than being bedfellows with those who are trying to challenge Indian sovereignty and territorial integrity,” he stated, accusing Canada of aligning itself with forces that threaten India’s national unity.
The high commissioner emphasised that the issue of Khalistani separatists is not one that Canada should be involved in, as it pertains to India’s internal affairs. He argued that pro-Khalistan activists operating in Canada are not Indian citizens, and their actions should not be allowed to impact Indian sovereignty. “What happens in India will be decided by Indian citizens. These Khalistani extremists are not Indian citizens, they are Canadian citizens, and no country should allow its citizens to challenge the sovereignty of another nation,” Verma added.
Verma further clarified that while India monitors the activities of pro-Khalistan elements abroad, it does so through open sources and legitimate means. He denied any accusations that he had directed or coerced individuals to gather intelligence on pro-Khalistan activists in Canada, including Nijjar. “I, as High Commissioner of India, have never done anything of that kind,” Verma stated. He explained that his team gathers information by reading public statements and news reports. “We read the newspapers, we read their statements, since we understand Punjabi, so we read their social media posts and try to infer from there,” Verma clarified, underlining that India’s interest in these groups is purely for national security reasons.
The high commissioner’s strong words come after Canada labelled him and five other Indian diplomats as “persons of interest” in Nijjar’s killing, a move that India has condemned. India responded by recalling six of its diplomats from Canada, including Verma. The ongoing diplomatic row has severely impacted relations between the two countries, which have been marked by mutual accusations and expulsions of diplomats.
Tensions between India and Canada have been simmering since Trudeau’s explosive allegation in the Canadian Parliament that India may have had a hand in Nijjar’s murder. India has consistently denied any involvement, calling the accusations “absurd” and accusing Canada of providing a safe haven for extremist elements that promote anti-India agendas. New Delhi has repeatedly criticised Canada for allowing pro-Khalistan protests and activities within its borders, arguing that these movements pose a threat to India’s territorial integrity.
Nijjar’s killing has also reignited debates within Canada’s Sikh community, which is the largest in the world, numbering around 770,000 people. Many Sikh advocates, including Nijjar’s associates, have long claimed that the Indian government has sought to silence them for their pro-Khalistan views. In 2023, Moninder Singh, an associate of Nijjar’s, told Al Jazeera that the Sikh community had been facing threats from the Indian government for decades.
The diplomatic rift between India and Canada has also attracted attention internationally, with reports emerging that Sikh activists in the United States have faced similar threats. In a parallel case, the US Department of Justice charged an Indian government official in 2023 for allegedly plotting to kill Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a prominent Sikh separatist based in New York. Pannun, a US citizen, is a vocal advocate of the Khalistan movement and serves as the legal adviser for the group Sikhs for Justice. US authorities filed charges of “murder-for-hire and money laundering” against Vikash Yadav, the Indian official implicated in the plot.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs later clarified that Yadav was no longer employed by the Indian government. However, the incident further fuelled concerns about India’s stance on Khalistani activists abroad.
As the diplomatic tensions continue to rise, Verma’s interview with CTV underscores India’s firm rejection of the allegations and its demand for Canada to address the concerns over Khalistani extremism. Both countries remain locked in a war of words, with no resolution in sight for the growing rift over Nijjar’s assassination.
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