Canadian Opposition leader Maxime Bernier. Photo: Wikipedia

A Canadian Opposition leader has accused Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of using Hardeep Singh Nijjar’s murder to divert attention from other controversies and asked the government to posthumously take away the Khalistani militant’s citizenship to right the past administrative error.

Maxime Bernier, the leader of the People’s Party of Canada, also said the Khalistani militant who is the central figure in the whole controversy was a foreign terrorist who was somehow granted citizenship in 2007.

Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) said Monday it had identified India’s High Commissioner in the country and five other diplomats as persons of interest in the June 2023 killing of Nijjar. The RCMP also said they uncovered evidence of an intensifying campaign against Canadians by agents of the Indian government.

Bernier said if true, allegations made by the RCMP and the Liberal government that Indian diplomats participated in criminal activities on our territory are very serious and should be dealt with.

“So far, however, we haven’t been given any proof. And Trudeau is clearly using this crisis to divert the attention from other controversies,” he said.

Bernier said Nijjar was a foreign terrorist who used fraudulent documents to claim asylum in Canada several times.

“One myth should be dispelled though: That the central figure in this controversy, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, the Khalistani militant who was murdered last year, was a Canadian. He was actually a foreign terrorist who used fraudulent documents to claim asylum in Canada several times starting in 1997. His claims were rejected but he was nevertheless allowed to stay in this country and was somehow granted citizenship in 2007,” he said.

“Nijjar wasn’t a Canadian. Canada should perhaps posthumously take away his citizenship to right this administrative error,” he said.

He should have been deported after his first fake asylum claim, like the hundreds of thousands of fake asylum claimants who are in Canada right now, Bernier said.

“All this is happening because Canada has for decades deliberately invited these foreigners and their tribal conflicts into our country. We should recognise this major blunder and work with the government of India to find solutions instead of jeopardising our relations with a rising world power and an important ally over this issue,” he added.

Timeline: What led to India, Canada expelling top diplomats?

The relations between India and Canada came under severe strain following Prime Minister Trudeau’s allegations in September last year of a “potential” involvement of Indian agents in the killing of Nijjar, who was gunned down in Surrey, British Columbia. New Delhi had rejected Trudeau’s charges as “absurd”.

India has repeatedly criticised Trudeau’s government for being soft on supporters of the Khalistan movement who live in Canada. The Khalistan movement is banned in India but has support among the Sikh diaspora, particularly in Canada.

India expelled six Canadian diplomats on Monday and announced that it is withdrawing its High Commissioner in Canada, after dismissing Ottawa’s allegations linking the envoy to a probe into the killing of Nijjar.

Canada, however, said it has expelled six Indian diplomats.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in New Delhi said on Monday India received a “diplomatic communication from Canada suggesting that the Indian High Commissioner and other diplomats are ‘persons of interest’ in a matter related to an investigation in that country”.

“We have no faith in the current Canadian government’s commitment to ensure their security. Therefore, the government of India has decided to withdraw the high commissioner and other targeted diplomats and officials,” the MEA said in a statement.

Canadian High Commissioner to India Cameron Mackay arrives at the Ministry of External Affairs headquarters as he was summoned by the MEA in a reciprocal move to Canada expelling a senior Indian diplomat, in New Delhi on September 19.
| Photo Credit: ANI

In view of the prevailing diplomatic tension, Canada has “temporarily adjusted” its staff presence in India, the High Commission of Canada informed The Hindu on Thursday. The confirmation came in the backdrop of reports that local staffs employed in the Canadian missions in India have been asked to go on leave. There were similar information about Indian missions in Canada suspending visa facilities for Canadian citizens but the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has not stated anything definitive on this matter till the time of this report.

Also read: Indian visa suspension for Canadians done as per official order: BLS International

“In light of the current environment where tensions have heightened, we are taking action to ensure the safety of our diplomats. With some diplomats having received threats on various social media platforms, Global Affairs Canada is assessing its staff complement in India. As a result, and out of an abundance of caution, we have decided to temporarily adjust staff presence in India,” the High Commission of Canada has told The Hindu.

The Canadian mission also reminded the Government of India of obligations under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, 1961 that assures protection of foreign diplomats and said, “we expect India to provide for the security of our accredited diplomats and consular officers in India, just as we are for theirs here.”

“Global Affairs Canada will continue to take all appropriate measures to protect the health and safety of all our personnel, including locally-engaged staff, and to protect our operations in India. Decisions are made based on a number of factors including the professional profile of an employee or personal circumstances,” said the High Commission of Canada.

Also read: India issues tit-for-tat travel advisory for Canada

Since last Monday when Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused Indian operatives of carrying out the murder of Khalistan Tiger Force leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey, British Columbia, threats has heightened for Indian diplomats in Canada and Ottawa’s diplomats in India. On both sides vitriolic online comments targeted serving diplomats.

Earlier media reports had circulated that India had stopped issuing visas for Canadians but the MEA has refused to say anything definitive on this so far. In its travel advisory issued on Wednesday, Ministry of External Affairs had pointed out that Indian diplomats and a section of the Indian population in Canada were also being targeted in campaigns carried out by the Khalistan sympathisers. In the travel advisory, the Government of India focused on all its citizens staying in Canada and urged them to exercise caution in view of “politically condoned” violence targeting Indians.