India’s Foreign Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar accused Canada of harboring criminals from India, particularly Sikh separatists who are seeking to create their own country called Khalistan. The tensions between the two countries were heightened after the RCMP arrested three Indian nationals in connection with the murder of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey, B.C. Nijjar’s death led to protests against Indian diplomats in Canada, especially after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau suggested that India had a role in the homicide.
During a forum in India, Jaishankar criticized countries like the U.S. and Canada for partnering with India while allowing support for separatist movements that New Delhi deems unconstitutional. He accused Canadian political parties, including the governing Liberals, of pandering to Sikh separatists for votes and legitimizing extremism and violence in the name of free speech. Jaishankar raised concerns about attacks on Indian diplomatic missions and staff in Canada and questioned Ottawa’s tolerance of criminal elements and their affiliation with Sikh separatists.
India has repeatedly raised concerns about criminals from Punjab being welcomed in Canada and allowed to operate freely, linking them to the Khalistan separatist movement. However, Ottawa has maintained that India has not provided evidence to prove the allegations of terrorism under Canada’s criminal code. Canadian officials have offered workshops to their Indian counterparts on the rule of law, as the definitions of terrorism in the two countries’ legal systems may not align. Jaishankar emphasized that there will be pushback against calls for Khalistan separation, though he did not specify the source of this pushback.
The Indian high commission in Ottawa did not immediately respond to inquiries about the source of potential pushback against Khalistan separatism, while Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly’s office also did not comment. Human Rights Watch has criticized Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for promoting an ultranationalist ideology that has led to attacks on non-Hindu citizens and a deterioration of civil rights in India. The organization has called on India to investigate its potential involvement in Nijjar’s death given past failures to hold accountable individuals responsible for unlawful killings.
India has urged Canada to prosecute individuals who glorify those linked to the 1985 Air India bombing, which followed a period of intense ethnic violence. The tensions between India and Canada are multifaceted, spanning issues related to terrorism, separatism, and human rights. The conflicting narratives between the two countries underscore the broader challenges in diplomatic relations, including the balance between freedom of speech, security concerns, and the rule of law. It remains to be seen how the two governments will address these issues and navigate their differences in the future.
