Canada says it suspects India involved in Sikh leader murder
Canada said on Monday it had credible information linking Indian government agents to the murder of a Sikh separatist leader in British Columbia in June and said it had expelled a senior Indian intelligence official.
The announcement marks a significant worsening of bilateral ties at a time when India is already unhappy that Canadian authorities are not cracking down on Sikh protesters who want their own independent homeland.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said any involvement of a foreign government in the killing of a Canadian citizen was «an unacceptable violation of our sovereignty».
Hardeep Singh Nijjar, was shot dead outside a Sikh temple in Surrey, British Columbia, on June 18.
Nijjar supported a Sikh homeland in the form of an independent Khalistani state and was designated by India as a «terrorist» in July 2020, India's The Tribune newspaper said.
«Canadian security agencies have been actively pursuing credible allegations of a potential link between agents of the government of India» and Nijjar's death, Trudeau said in an emergency statement to the House of Commons.
«Canada has declared its deep concerns to the top intelligence and security officials of the Indian government.
Last week at the G20 I brought them personally and directly to Prime Minister Modi in no uncertain terms.»
The Indian high commission (embassy) in Ottawa did not respond to requests for comment.
New Delhi said last week that Modi had conveyed strong concerns about protests in Canada against India to Trudeau.
Canada has the highest population of Sikhs outside their home state of Punjab in India, and the country has been the site of many demonstrations that have irked India.
Canada is home to one of the largest overseas communities of Indian
