Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has received backing from several of his allies over his allegations that India was involved in the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Sikh separatist leader who was shot dead in Surrey, British Columbia, in June.
Trudeau said that his government was investigating “credible allegations” that Indian government agents were linked to the assassination of Nijjar, who was a vocal supporter of the Khalistan movement, which seeks an independent Sikh homeland in India’s Punjab state.
However, Trudeau’s stance has been supported by some of his counterparts, who have expressed concern over the possible violation of Canada’s sovereignty and human rights by a foreign power.
Nijjar, 45, was a prominent figure in the Sikh community in Canada and a leader of the Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) group, which has been campaigning for a referendum on Khalistan in India.
He was gunned down by two masked gunmen outside a Sikh temple in Surrey on June 18, shortly after he had left the temple following a prayer service. His funeral was attended by thousands of people, who hailed him as a martyr and a hero.