Ottawa: A new Canadian commission report has found "no definitive link" between the killing of Canadian Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar and any foreign state, contradicting Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s earlier claims that Indian agents were involved.
In September 2023, Trudeau stated that Canada had credible evidence pointing to the involvement of Indian government agents in the murder of Nijjar, who was shot dead in Surrey, British Columbia, in June 2023. However, the report released on Tuesday titled Public Inquiry Into Foreign Interference in Federal Electoral Processes and Democratic Institutions dismissed these allegations, stating that no conclusive connection to any foreign state was proven.
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The report, authored by Commissioner Marie-Josee Hogue, highlighted that disinformation is often used as a tactic to retaliate against decisions that contradict a state’s interests. The commission suggested that India may have been involved in spreading disinformation following Trudeau’s claims about the Indian role in Nijjar's death.
"Disinformation is used as a retaliatory tactic to punish decisions that run contrary to a state's interests," Hogue stated. The report went on to say, “This may have been the case with a disinformation campaign that followed the Prime Minister's announcement regarding suspected Indian involvement in the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar (though again no definitive link to a foreign state could be proven).”
Diplomatic tensions between Canada, India
The 123-page report also referred to the expulsion of six Indian diplomats by Canada in October 2024, following a targeted campaign against Canadian citizens by agents believed to be linked to the Indian government. In retaliation, India expelled six Canadian diplomats and withdrew its high commissioner. The diplomatic rift between the two countries intensified after Trudeau's September statement about potential Indian involvement in Nijjar's killing.
India strongly rejected the allegations in the Canadian report, labelling them as "insinuations". The Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the report misrepresented the situation and accused Canada of repeatedly interfering in India’s internal affairs. "Canada has been consistently interfering in India's internal affairs," the MEA stated in response to the report’s conclusions.
Khalistan movement, diplomatic strain
The report comes amid ongoing tensions between the two countries, largely due to Canada’s stance on the Khalistan movement. India has repeatedly criticised Trudeau’s government for being lenient towards Khalistan supporters in Canada. The movement, which seeks a separate Sikh state, is banned in India but continues to garner support among parts of the Sikh diaspora, particularly in Canada.
The diplomatic fallout over these issues continues to strain relations between the two nations.
Agency
Published: 30 Jan 2025, 06:39 am IST
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