The Indian Embassy in Vancouver issued a response on June 19th regarding Canada’s tribute to the late Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was allegedly assassinated last year. In a post on the social networking site X (formerly known as Twitter), the embassy stated that India is at the forefront of combating terrorism and collaborates closely with all nations to address this global threat.
Furthermore, the embassy mentioned that June 23, 2024, marks the 39th Anniversary of the tragic terrorist bombing of Air India flight 182 (Kanishka). This horrific incident resulted in the loss of 329 innocent lives, including 86 children, making it one of the most atrocious air disasters related to terrorism in the history of civil aviation.
To commemorate this event, a Memorial Service is scheduled to take place at 1830 hrs on June 23, 2024, at the Air India Memorial located in Stanley Park’s Ceperley Playground area. The embassy, represented by @cgivancouver, encourages members of the Indian Diaspora to participate in this event as a demonstration of unity against terrorism.
The House of Commons in Canada honors the memory of Nijjar’s passing.
Following the observance of a moment of silence by the Canadian House of Commons on June 18 to commemorate the first anniversary of Singh’s death, India has responded. The Indian government has labeled Singh as a “Khalistani terrorist.” Speaker of the House of Commons, Greg Fergus, called upon Members of Parliament to honor Nijjar by observing a moment of silence as decided by the House. The alleged assassination of Nijjar in June 2023 in British Columbia, Canada has strained relations between India and Canada. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau sees Narendra Modi’s re-election as an “opportunity” to engage in important matters such as national security, the safety of Canadians, and upholding the rule of law.
India-Canada relations
Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a 45-year-old individual who has been labeled as a terrorist by India’s National Investigation Agency (NIA) since 2020, met his demise outside Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara in British Columbia on June 18, 2023. He is one of the 41 individuals included in the Indian government’s list of “designated terrorists.”
The alleged perpetrators of Nijjar’s killing are four Indian nationals: Karan Brar, 22, Kamalpreet Singh, 22, Karanpreet Singh, and Amandeep Singh, both 22 years old.
The relationship between India and Canada has significantly deteriorated following a statement made by Trudeau in September of the previous year, where he suggested the “potential” involvement of Indian agents in Nijjar’s assassination.
However, India has vehemently dismissed these accusations, deeming them as “absurd” and “motivated.” The Indian government has further stated that Canada has not presented any “specific” evidence or pertinent information regarding the case of Hardeep Singh Nijjar’s killing.