India’s High Commissioner to Canada, Sanjay Verma, firmly denied any involvement in the assassination of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, responding to accusations made by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). Nijjar was killed outside a cultural center in Surrey, British Columbia, on June 18, 2023.
In an interview with CTV’s Question Period, Verma rejected claims that India or its diplomats were connected to the murder, labeling the accusations as politically motivated. He stated that no evidence had been presented, and Trudeau was relying solely on intelligence reports, not concrete proof. According to Verma, this reliance on unsubstantiated intelligence has damaged bilateral ties between India and Canada.
Verma criticized Trudeau’s decision to publicly address the allegations in Parliament without first sharing any evidence with India. He expressed frustration that the diplomatic relationship has worsened since then, stating that Trudeau’s actions were driven by political motives ahead of Canada’s upcoming elections. India has consistently refuted the accusations, calling them “preposterous” and a strategic move by Trudeau to garner political support.
This diplomatic rift stems from long-standing tensions, with India accusing Canada of being lenient on supporters of the Khalistan movement, which is banned in India but has garnered backing within the Sikh diaspora in Canada. Despite the ongoing row, Verma emphasized that India has not targeted Sikh separatists in Canada and condemned the murder of Nijjar, describing any killing as “wrong and bad.”
The diplomatic crisis deepened after India recalled Verma and other diplomats, who were labelled “persons of interest” in Canada’s investigation into Nijjar’s death. While Canada alleges Indian diplomats passed information to crime groups targeting Sikh activists, India insists no evidence has been provided to support such claims.
