(New Delhi) India on Wednesday asked its citizens to avoid traveling to certain regions of Canada, after Ottawa said it suspected the Indian government of being involved in the assassination of a Sikh leader in June, causing a serious diplomatic crisis.
On Tuesday, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau asked India to “take seriously” the matter of the death of Hardeep Singh Nijjar and the suspicions of the involvement of New Delhi agents raised on Monday by Ottawa, which said rely on “credible elements”.
The Indian government called the Canadian accusations “absurd” and denied “any act of violence in Canada.”
Diplomatic relations between Canada and India have since been at an all-time low, marked by reciprocal expulsions of diplomats.
On Wednesday, the Indian Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed concern for its nationals traveling to Canada, “given the increase in anti-Indian activities and hate and criminal crimes with political connotations in Canada”.
“Recently, threats have particularly targeted Indian diplomats and members of the Indian community who oppose the anti-Indian agenda,” the ministry added in a statement, advising its fellow citizens “to avoid visiting in regions and potential sites in Canada that have been the scene of such incidents.
“Indian students in particular are advised to exercise extreme caution and remain vigilant,” it said.
Hardeep Singh Nijjar was shot dead in June by two masked men in the parking lot of the Sikh temple he led in Surrey, near Vancouver, British Columbia. He died of his injuries on the spot.
An activist for the creation of Khalistan, an independent Sikh state in northern India, he arrived in Canada in 1997 and was naturalized in 2015.
He was wanted by Indian authorities for alleged acts of terrorism and conspiracy to commit murder.
Accusations that he denied, according to the World Organization of Sikhs of Canada, a group defending the interests of Canadian Sikhs.
“Extremely serious” case
Since his murder and the violent protests that followed in Canada, relations between Ottawa and New Delhi have deteriorated significantly.
This case “is extremely serious and has significant consequences, both in terms of international law and in other aspects for Canada,” Justin Trudeau said on Tuesday.
“We are not trying to provoke. We present the facts as we understand them,” he added.
The affair is being closely followed elsewhere in the world: on Tuesday, Washington said it was “deeply concerned by the Canadian allegations”.
“It is very important that Canada’s investigation continues and that those responsible are brought to justice,” commented Adrienne Watson, spokesperson for the White House National Security Council.
For its part, London considered that it was “particularly important” to let the Canadian authorities lead the investigation.
Very mobilized since this assassination, the Sikh community welcomed the Canadian declarations.
“For decades, India has targeted Sikhs in Canada through espionage, disinformation and now murder,” said Mukhbir Singh, of the World Sikh Organization of Canada, during a press conference in parliament canadian.
India has often complained about the activity of the Sikh diaspora abroad, particularly in Canada, which according to New Delhi could revive the separatist movement thanks to massive financial aid.
The Indian state of Punjab, which is about 58% Sikh and 39% Hindu, was rocked by a violent separatist movement in the 1980s and early 1990s that left thousands dead.
According to Indian diplomacy, Mr. Trudeau had already made these accusations to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the recent G20 summit in New Delhi, which had been “completely rejected”.
Canada is the country with the largest number of Sikhs outside of India.