Modi’s Canada visit puts spotlight back on Khalistan leader’s murder

ISLAMABAD: As Narendra Modi gets an invitation to the three-day G-7 summit starting Sunday in Canada, the murder case of Khalistan leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar has again taken central stage, with Liberal leaders opposing the invitation to the Indian Prime Minister.

Modi is arriving in Canada as the Sikh community prepares to observe the death anniversary of Nijjar next week. Nijjar was killed by Indian secret agents in Canada.Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is hosting the summit to be held in Kananaskis, Alberta state. Top leaders from the US, France, the UK, Japan, Italy, Germany and Canada will attend the summit.

Modi is visiting Canada after almost ten years. Earlier, he had visited Canada in April 2015. Stephen Harper was the prime minister of Canada at the time.Relations between Canada and India are at their worst ever since the murder of pro-Khalistan Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in 2023.

In such a situation, this invitation is being seen as an important turning point from the point of view of the relations between Canada and India. On the one hand, India’s invitation to the G-7 is being seen as a hope that it can improve relations between the two countries. But on the other hand, Sikh organisations in Canada are opposing the visit.

The Toronto-based Sikh Federation said this week that “unless India cooperates significantly with the criminal investigation in Canada, Canada should withhold any such invitation,” the Toronto-based Sikh Federation said this week, CBC reported. “Sikh bodies are referring to the allegations that were levelled against India during the Trudeau government in the past and according to which it was said that India had a hand in the murder of a Sikh activist. The protesting Sikh organisations argue that the federal government’s decision seems to be prioritising economic concerns over human rights.

The Sikh Federation of Canada called the invitation “a serious insult”, CBC reported. Liberal MP Sukh Dhaliwal, who represents Surrey-Newton where Nijjar was shot, said he did not support it, referring to the concerns expressed by the people of his constituency after the decision. Punjabi is the third most widely used language in Canada. About 1.3 per cent of Canada’s population understands and speaks Punjabi. Outside Punjab, Canada has the highest number of Sikhs. Canada has the right to peaceful protest. In such a situation, there is a possibility of huge protests during the G-7 summit.

Danish Singh, president of the World Sikh Organisation (Canada), said, “This is a betrayal of the Sikhs living in Canada. And this is a betrayal not only of the community but also of Canada’s values. “Hardeep Singh Nijjar, 45, was shot dead by armed assailants in the parking lot of Gurdwara Sahib in Surrey, Canada, on June 18, 2023. The then Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had alleged the involvement of Indian agents in the murder. It was only after that the diplomatic relations between the two countries had come to a standstill. In September 2023, Trudeau had claimed that Canada had “credible evidence” that Indian agents were involved in the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia. However, India has consistently termed such allegations baseless. So far, four arrests have been made by the Canadian police in this case. The accused have been identified as Karan Brar (22), Kamalpreet Singh (22), Karan Preet Singh (28) and Amandeep Singh.