Toronto: Canada’s foreign minister has reiterated the allegation that Indian agents were connected to the killing of pro-Khalistan figure Hardeep Singh Nijjar on June 18 last year, even as India’s envoy to the country has described as a “red line” the threat to its territorial integrity posed by Canadian citizens.
Speaking to the media in Ottawa, Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Mélanie Joly, said, “Canada’s position has always been clear. Our job is to protect Canadians and we stand by the allegations that a Canadian was killed on Canadian soil by Indian agents.”
That statement came in the context of a question relating to the arrest of three Indian nationals by law enforcement for their alleged involvement in the murder. India has described those accusations, first made by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in the House of Commons on September 18, as “absurd” and “motivated”.
This week, India’s High Commissioner to Ottawa Sanjay Kumar Verma addressed the matter of the threat originating from pro-Khalistan elements in Canada. He said, “My concern is national security, threats emanating from the land of Canada. These threats are largely emanating from Canadian citizens. These two are my red lines”. He also said while some may have been Indian citizens earlier, they were now Canadians who were casting an “evil eye on the territorial integrity of India”.
However, he added, channels of communication between them remained open. “There are a lot of discussions at the government level happening, through the diplomatic channels, not open to the public.” Both sides, he said, were “trying to find solutions and resolutions to the issues of concern”. (Hindustan Times inputs)
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Accused in Nijjar’s killing appear before Canadian court
Three Indian nationals, charged with alleged involvement in the killing of pro-Khalistan figure Hardeep Singh Nijjar, appeared in a Canadian court on May 7, after their arrests this month. The accused Karan Brar, 22, Kamalpreet Singh, 22 and Karanpreet Singh, 28, all residents of Edmonton, are facing charges of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder.
All three appeared via a video link before a British Columbia provincial court in Surrey, where Nijjar was killed. They made their appearances before Judge Delaram Jahani. Nearly 100 protesters, many brandishing Khalistani flags and anti-India posters, also gathered in front of the courthouse.
