Montreal, Canada – India’s excessive commissioner to Canada has rejected allegations of involvement within the 2023 assassination of a distinguished Sikh separatist chief within the nation, and criticized the Canadian authorities for being “politically motivated” in its allegations.
In an interview with Canadian community CTV Information on Sunday, Sanjay Kumar Verma was requested if he had something to do with the homicide of Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
“Nothing in any respect, no proof offered, for political causes,” he responded.
The interview comes simply days after Canadian police mentioned they’d uncovered proof that Indian authorities brokers had been concerned “in critical prison exercise in Canada,” together with hyperlinks “to homicides and acts of violence.”
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s authorities introduced on Monday that it was expelling six Indian diplomats and consular officers – together with Verma – after they had been recognized as “individuals of curiosity” in Nijjar’s homicide.
Nijjar, a Canadian citizen, was shot useless in June 2023 outdoors a Sikh temple the place he served as president in Canada’s westernmost province, British Columbia.
He had been a distinguished supporter of what’s generally known as the Khalistan motion, a Sikh marketing campaign for a sovereign state in India’s Punjab area, which India views as a risk to its nationwide safety.
His homicide despatched shockwaves throughout Canada and ties between New Delhi and Ottawa hit new lows after the Canadian authorities mentioned in September final 12 months it was investigating whether or not Indian authorities brokers had been concerned.
India has rejected the allegations, calling them “absurd allegations” and calling on Canada to supply proof to help its claims.
On Monday, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) mentioned it offered proof on to Indian authorities officers, “urging their cooperation to curb the violence and asking our police businesses to work collectively to handle these points.”
Throughout Sunday’s interview with CTV Information, Verma – the Indian excessive commissioner to Canada – repeatedly mentioned that no proof had been offered to him.
Verma mentioned India is “dedicated to not commit extrajudicial killings in any territory.”
He additionally mentioned he had by no means ordered or coerced folks to gather info on pro-Khalistan activists in Canada. “I, because the excessive commissioner of India, have by no means finished something of that sort,” he instructed CTV Information.
“Can we need to know what pro-Khalistani parts are doing in Canada? Sure, we do. That’s my nationwide curiosity. That is my entire concern with Canada, which is making an attempt to destroy Indian Nation.
“If Canadian politicians are so novices that they need me to not know what my enemies are doing right here, I am sorry, then they do not know what worldwide relations is about,” Verma mentioned, noting that the knowledge gathering was “all overt.” .
“We learn the newspapers, we learn their statements,” he added.
However members of the Sikh group in Canada – the world’s largest Sikh diaspora, with about 770,000 folks – have mentioned they’ve confronted threats for many years. They’ve accused the Indian authorities of making an attempt to silence them.
“For 40 years, our group has been working to show India’s international interference,” Moninder Singh, a Nijjar affiliate in British Columbia, instructed Al Jazeera final 12 months.
Sikh advocates in the USA have additionally confronted threats, and final week the US Justice Division charged an Indian authorities official who it mentioned was concerned in a failed plot to kill a distinguished Sikh advocate. Sikh separatism in New York.
US authorities have filed “costs of homicide for rent and cash laundering” in opposition to Vikash Yadav for his alleged involvement within the plot to assassinate Gurpatwant Singh Pannun.
Pannun, a US citizen, is authorized advisor to the group Sikhs for Justice and a powerful supporter of the Khalistan motion.
“The accused [Yadav]”An Indian authorities worker allegedly conspired with a prison affiliate and tried to homicide a U.S. citizen on U.S. soil for exercising his First Modification rights,” FBI Director Christopher Wray mentioned in a press release.
Sikhs for Justice mentioned the US indictment demonstrated Washington’s “dedication… to defending the life, liberty, and free speech of the American citizen at dwelling and overseas.”
India’s Ministry of Exterior Affairs mentioned Yadav was now not a authorities worker.