In the thick of intense diplomatic tension between India and Canada concerning the Khalistan Terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar’s killing, the All Parties Sikh Coordination Committee, a Sikh body based in Jammu and Kashmir, on Saturday, said that the issue between both nations is a ‘political gimmick.’
Addressing the media in the run-up to forthcoming elections in Jammu and Kashmir’s Srinagar, the APSCC said, “India and Canada issues are merely a political gimmick as elections are drawing closer. We will boycott all leaders and vote only for Sikh candidates in upcoming elections.”
Khalistan Terrorist Nijjar was gunned down on June 18, outside a Sikh cultural centre in Surrey, British Columbia. He was associated with the separatist organisation, Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), which was banned under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) for anti-India activities by the government of India in 2019.
Nijjar killing row: India-Canada faceoff
The diplomatic spar between Ottawa and New Delhi was triggered when Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused India of the killing of wanted Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Addressing the Canadian Parliament, Trudeau suggested that the Indian government might have been connected to the assassination of a Sikh activist in Canada. His remarks led to the expulsion of an Indian diplomat from Canada.
Meanwhile, India rejected the ‘absurd’ and ‘motivated’ allegations framed by the Canadian PM and said that such charges are ‘unsubstantiated,’ meant to shift the focus from Khalistani terrorists and extremists, who have been provided shelter in Canada and continue to threaten India’s sovereignty and integrity.
Nijjar in touch with Canadian Intelligence officers
In a significant revelation, the son of the Khalistani separatist has disclosed that his father had frequent meetings with Canadian intelligence officers in the months leading up to his fatal shooting in British Columbia last June. This revelation has sparked speculation about whether the Sikh separatist was possibly operating as a Canadian intelligence asset. Furthermore, the son revealed that Canadian intelligence officers had warned Nijjar about threats to his life and advised him to “stay at home.”
