New Delhi:

The Indian government will “naturally oppose any move giving political space to extremism and advocacy of violence”, the Foreign Ministry said Friday in its weekly press briefing. The ministry also said India had protested with the Canadian High Consulate in Delhi and asked for appropriate action.

The reference was to the Canadian parliament observing a moment of silence in the memory of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was killed outside a gurdwara in Canada’s British Columbia province last year. A video released by news agency IANS showed MPs observing silence after Speaker Greg Fergus said, “… I understand there is an agreement to observe a moment of silence in memory of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, assassinated in Surrey one year ago today.”

Nijjar was wanted in India for being the “mastermind” of the Khalistani Tiger Force, a designated terror group in this country. Last July, anti-terror agency NIA announced a cash reward of Rs 10 lakh for the capture of Nijjar in connection with the murder of a Hindu priest in Punjab’s Jalandhar.

READ | India’s Kanishka Reply To Canada Parliament’s Nijjar Move

Nijjar is also accused in the 2007 bombing of a cinema in Punjab.

On his killing, Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau claimed “agents” of the Indian government were involved in killing Nijjar, a Canadian citizen. Those allegations, repeated frequently since, have led to tense relations between the two nations, including awkward moments between the Canadian leader and Prime Minister Narendra Modi when India held the G20 Summit last year.

India has firmly rubbished Canada’s allegations, calling them “absurd” and “motivated” and noting that Mr Trudeau has yet to provide evidence, of any sort, to back his claim.

“Such unsubstantiated allegations seek to shift the focus from Khalistani terrorists and extremists… who have been provided shelter in Canada and continue to threaten India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Inaction of Canada is a matter of continuing concern,” the Indian side had side.

Nijjar’s murder is being investigated by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and four Indian nationals have been arrested.

On the Canadian parliament’s move to honour the memory of Nijjar, the Indian consulate in Vancouver announced a memorial service – to be held on Sunday – to pay tribute to the 329 victims of the Air India flight bombed by Khalistani terrorists in 1985.

The Air India Flight travelling from Montreal to London had blown up 31,000 feet above the ground when a bomb planted by Canadian Sikh terrorists went off. The 329 passengers killed in the incident included 268 Canadian citizens, 27 British citizens, and 24 Indian citizens. This bombing is among the deadliest acts of aviation terrorism.

On that subject an Indian-origin Canada MP, Chandra Arya, said the ideology responsible for the terrorist attack is still alive among a few people in his country.

READ | Canada MP On Kanishka Bombing, Says “Dark Forces Energised Again”

Speaking in the Canadian Parliament, he said the celebration of ex-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s assassination by “Khalistani supporters” demonstrated that “dark forces have been energised again”.

He also highlighted the concerns of Hindu Canadians regarding recent incidents.

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New York City:

Alleging that the agents of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) were involved in the killing of Khalistani terrorist, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, in Canada, an independent blogger, Jennifer Zeng, has said that China’s “purpose was to frame India creating discord between India and the West”.

She also alleged that it was a part of the CCP’s sinister “Ignition Plan” to disrupt the world in line with Xi Jinping’s military strategy regarding Taiwan.

Jennifer Zeng is a Chinese born rights activist, journalist who is currently living in the US.

In a video posted on the social media platform, X, Zeng dubbed the killing of Nijjar as an assassination claiming, “Today shocking revelations about the ‘assassination ‘ of Sikh religious leader, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, in Canada have emerged from within the CCP. It is alleged that the ‘assassination’ was carried out by CCP agents.”

On 18 June 2023, Hardeep Nijjar, a designated terrorist in India, was shot and killed in the parking lot of the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia.

The independent blogger attributed her allegations to Chinese writer and YouTuber Lao Deng, who according to her, lives in Canada now.

“Lao stated that in early June this year as part of their disruption initiative ‘Ignition Plan’, the CCP Ministry of State Security sent a high-ranking official to Seattle, USA. A secret meeting was held there…The objective was to sabotage relations between India and the West,” Zeng claims in the video posted on X.

“The agents were tasked with assassinating Hardeep Singh Nijjar, the Sikh leader in Canada. Following the meeting, the CCP agents meticulously executed the killing plan,” she claimed.

Explaining their modus operandi, the independent blogger alleges, “On June 18th, the agents armed with silenced guns tracked Nijjar. When the deed was done, they destroyed the dash camera in Nijjar’s Car to erase any evidence. After the crime, the agents fled, they burned their weapons and disguises to destroy all traces. The next day they left Canada in Airplanes.”

She also alleged that the killers even purposely learned Indian-accent English. “Therefore, they purposely spoke in India accent English…In fact, these actions were part of the scheme by CCP secret agent to frame India,” said Zeng.

She also claimed that Lao revealed that the CCP’s ‘ignition plan’ was devised this year after the CCP’s two sessions.

There has been no response to Jennifer Zeng’s allegations, posted in the video on Sunday afternonn (US time) from either the Chinese foreign ministry or the Ministry of External Affairs.

The diplomatic ties between India and Canada soured after the Canadian government expelled a senior Indian diplomat accusing India of playing a role in the killing of a Khalistani terrorist, Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada.

In the aftermath, India swiftly retaliated by issuing a statement that denied any involvement in the issue and expelled a senior Canadian diplomat. India has outrightly rejected the claims, calling it ‘absurd’ and ‘motivated’.

Amid escalating tensions, India has called for parity in the number of Canadian diplomats in India.

Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi earlier this month said that Canadian diplomatic presence is much higher in India and they assume “there would be reduction”.

“On discussions on parity, given the much higher presence of diplomats or diplomatic presence here and their interference in our internal matters, we have sought parity in our respective diplomatic presence. Discussions are ongoing to achieve this. Given that Canadian diplomatic presence is higher, we would assume that there would be a reduction,” said MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi.

Ottawa:

Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly on Tuesday said that the country wants “private talks with India to resolve a diplomatic dispute” over the killing of Khalistan terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, Reuters reported.

 “We are in contact with the government of India. We take Canadian diplomats’ safety very seriously and we will continue to engage privately because we think diplomatic conversations are best when they remain private,” Reuters quoted Joly as saying to reporters.

There is a strain in India-Canada relations following Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s allegations regarding the Indian government’s ‘potential role’ in the fatal shooting of Khalistan terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

Nijjar, who was a designated terrorist in India, was gunned down outside a Gurdwara, in a parking area in Canada’s Surrey, British Columbia on June 18.

Trudeau, during a debate in the Canadian Parliament, claimed his country’s national security officials had reasons to believe that “agents of the Indian government” carried out the killing of the Canadian citizen, who also served as the president of Surrey’s Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara.

However, India has outrightly rejected the claims, calling it ‘absurd’ and ‘motivated’.

Notably, Canada has yet to provide any public evidence to support the claim about the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar. The country has said it wants to “work constructively with India” regarding the allegations.

Trudeau on Tuesday said that his country was not “looking to escalate the situation with India,” adding that Ottawa wants to remain on the ground in New Delhi to help Canadians, Reuters reported. 

“Canada is not looking to escalate the situation with India, will continue to engage responsibly and constructively with New Delhi. We want to be on the ground in India to help the Canadian families there,” Reuters quoted Trudeau as saying. 

Trudeau had said last week that Canada is still committed to building closer ties with India, despite “credible allegations of the Indian government’s involvement” in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, Canada-based National Post reported. India has rejected the claims as “absurd” and “motivated”.

Pointing to the increasing influence of India worldwide, Trudeau said that it is “extremely important” that Canada and its allies continue to engage with India.

“India is a growing economic power and important geopolitical player. And as we presented with our Indo-Pacific strategy, just last year, we’re very serious about building closer ties with India,” he had told reporters.

“At the same time, obviously, as a rule of law country, we need to emphasize that India needs to work with Canada to ensure that we get the full facts of this matter,” National Post quoted Trudeau as saying.