Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has called on India to take Canada’s allegations seriously after the US unveiled similar explosive allegations that Indian government agents were involved in the murder of Sikh separatist leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. The US Justice Department recently alleged the involvement of an unnamed Indian government official in an alleged plot to assassinate Pannun, a US citizen living in New York. An Indian national, Nikhil Gupta, has been indicted on charges of murder-for-hire and conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire.
India has consistently pushed back against Canada’s allegations, calling them absurd. However, they have opened a high-level inquiry into the charges laid by US prosecutors. Both Pannun and another Sikh separatist leader, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, advocated for the creation of Khalistan, a Sikh homeland separate from India.
You may also like to watch : Who Is Kamala Harris? Biography - Parents - Husband - Sister - Career - Indian - Jamaican Heritage
Trudeau emphasized the need for India to work with Canada and the US to investigate these serious allegations. Canada has been urging India for more cooperation and engagement into the investigations of Nijjar’s killing, while India has demanded more evidence before pursuing the case. In response, a spokesperson for the Indian foreign ministry accused Canada of promoting anti-India extremists and interfering in their internal affairs.
The allegations have strained Indo-Canadian relations, resulting in the expulsion of senior diplomats from both countries, the suspension of visa services for Canadians, and threats to strip diplomatic immunity. The recent US indictment further complicates US-India relations, as it implicates an unnamed Indian government official in the plot to assassinate Pannun.
India has established a high-level inquiry in response to US concerns about their preexisting knowledge of the alleged plot. The Indian foreign ministry stated that they take the allegations seriously as they impinge on national security interests. The investigation into these allegations will continue to impact diplomatic relations between India, Canada, and the US.
