New Delhi:
Because the diplomatic standoff between India and Canada continues, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has admitted for the primary time the presence of Khalistanis in his nation. In an surprising assertion, Trudeau acknowledged the presence of a Khalistan assist base inside Canada however rapidly added that they don’t signify the Sikh neighborhood as an entire. His comment got here throughout a Diwali celebrations occasion at Ottawa’s Parliament Hill.
Relations between India and Canada have deteriorated because the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Khalistani terrorist, exterior a gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia, in June 2023. Trudeau’s allegation that India might have been concerned within the homicide set off a diplomatic firestorm that continues to rage. Throughout his Diwali handle, Trudeau said that whereas there are supporters of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s authorities in Canada, they don’t signify all Hindu Canadians both.
“There are a lot of supporters of Khalistan in Canada, however they don’t signify the Sikh Group as an entire. There are supporters of the Modi authorities in Canada, however they don’t signify all Hindu Canadians as an entire,” he stated.
Rising Tensions
Earlier this week, protesters, some waving Khalistani flags, clashed with devotees at a temple in Canada’s Brampton, throwing punches, swinging poles, and disrupting a consular occasion that had drawn Indian nationals and Canadian residents alike. Movies that rapidly went viral on social media appeared to point out protesters bodily confronting worshippers exterior the temple grounds. The footage depicted chaotic scenes of fistfights, with individuals hitting one another with poles as the strain escalated.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau condemned the violence, stressing that each Canadian has the correct to apply their religion in peace. “The acts of violence on the Hindu Sabha Mandir in Brampton in the present day are unacceptable. Each Canadian has the correct to apply their religion freely and safely,” Trudeau wrote on X (previously Twitter). “Thanks to the Peel Regional Police for swiftly responding to guard the neighborhood and examine this incident.”
The Centre expressed deep concern over the protection of Indian nationals in Canada, whereas unequivocally condemning the assault on the Hindu Sabha temple.
“We’ve got seen violent disruption in the present day (November 3), orchestrated by anti-India components exterior the consular camp co-organised with the Hindu Sabha Mandir in Brampton, close to Toronto,” stated MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal in an announcement. “We additionally stay very involved for the protection of candidates, together with Indian nationals, on whose demand such occasions are organised within the first place. Regardless of these efforts by anti-India components, our Consulate was capable of problem greater than 1,000 life certificates to the Indian and Canadian candidates.”
No Proof, Solely Intelligence
India has constantly rejected any hyperlink to the homicide of Nijjar, a chosen terrorist by the Nationwide Investigation Company (NIA), and accused Trudeau’s administration of pandering to Khalistani sympathisers for political acquire. The Trudeau authorities has accused India of being complicit in Nijjar’s killing, a declare India has vehemently denied.
India has termed the allegations as politically motivated, pointing to Canada’s failure to deal with the rising tide of pro-Khalistan sentiment within the nation. Within the aftermath of Nijjar’s loss of life, Canadian police advised that six Indian diplomats had been concerned within the plot, a declare that India rapidly dismissed as “preposterous.” Regardless of a number of exchanges, together with conferences at worldwide boards just like the G20 Summit, Canada has failed to offer any conclusive proof linking India to the homicide.
Final month, the Centre issued a blistering response to Canada’s costs, rejecting claims that India’s Excessive Commissioner to Canada, Sanjay Kumar Verma, was a “particular person of curiosity” in Nijjar’s homicide. India not solely dismissed the claims about Verma but additionally identified that regardless of repeated requests for proof, Canada had didn’t share any substantive proof to substantiate its allegations.
In a startling admission throughout a public inquiry in October, Trudeau admitted that Canada had no “laborious evidentiary proof” in 2023 to assist allegations linking Indian authorities brokers to the killing of Nijjar. Talking throughout a public inquiry into alleged overseas interference in Canada’s federal electoral processes and democratic establishments, Trudeau revealed that his claims about India’s involvement had been primarily based on intelligence quite than conclusive proof.
“I used to be briefed on the truth that there was intelligence from Canada, and probably from 5 Eyes allies that made it pretty clear, extremely clear, that India was concerned on this… Brokers of the federal government of India had been concerned within the killing of a Canadian on Canadian soil,” he stated.
Trudeau defined that Canada had the choice to go public with the allegations through the G20 summit held in New Delhi in September 2023 however selected to not.
“Our response was, properly, it is inside your safety companies,” Mr Trudeau stated, recounting Canada’s exchanges with India. “At that time, it was primarily intelligence, not laborious evidentiary proof. So we stated, let’s work collectively and look into your safety companies.”
The Indian authorities has argued that Canada offers a secure haven for pro-Khalistani extremists and separatists who pose a risk to India’s safety. New Delhi additionally stated that it had requested motion in opposition to these components, which Canada had didn’t take severely.