Canada Passes Motion on Indian Link to Nijjar Killing

On 8 May, Canada’s House of Commons passed a private member’s motion, which alluded to an Indian link to the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar on 18 Jun 2023. Titled Political Interference, Violence or Intimidation on Canadian Soil, the motion was moved by Indo-Canadian MP Sukh Dhaliwal on 12 Feb 2024. It was seconded by several MPs, including eight Indo-Canadians. The motion was passed with 326 votes, none against. Those who voted for it included Canadian PM Justin Trudeau, several cabinet ministers, and Pierre Poilievre, leader of the opposition Conservative Party. The motion stated it wanted the House to recognize that ‘recent events, including the credible allegations of a link between agents of the Government of India and the killing of a Canadian citizen Nijjar at a place of worship on Canadian soil, are examples of rising forms of intimidation, threats and interference from countries such as India, China, Russia, Iran and others.’ On 7 May, Canadian foreign minister Melanie Joly re-asserted that Ottawa stands by the allegation that Nijjar was ‘killed on Canadian soil by Indian agents.’ During his first public remarks since the police arrested three Indian nationals in Nijjar’s killing, High Commissioner Sanjay Kumar Verma linked the case to domestic crime. He warned Sikh groups in Canada who call for the separation of their homeland from India are crossing ‘a big red line’. On 11 May, Canada arrested a fourth Indian national for his role in the killing. 22-year-old Amardeep Singh has been charged with first degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder (SDW Vol. 2 Issue 19, Story 1).