New Delhi:

As the diplomatic impasse enters India and Canada continues, the Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau recognized for the first time the presence of Khalistanis in his country. In an unexpected statement, Trudeau acknowledged the presence of a Khalistani support base in Canada, but quickly added that it did not represent the Sikh community as a whole. His remark came during a Diwali celebration event on Parliament Hill in Ottawa.

Relations between India and Canada have deteriorated since the assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Khalistan terrorist, outside a gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia, in June 2023. Trudeau’s allegations that India may have been involved in the murder sparked a diplomatic storm that continues. rage. During his Diwali speech, Trudeau said that while there are supporters of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government in Canada, they also do not represent all Hindu Canadians.

“There are many supporters of Khalistan in Canada, but they do not represent the Sikh community as a whole. There are supporters of the Modi government in Canada, but they do not represent all Hindu Canadians as a whole,” he said. he declared.

Growing tensions

Earlier this week, protesters, some waving Khalistan flags, clashed with worshipers at a temple in Brampton, Canada, throwing punches, brandishing poles and disrupting a consular event that had attracted so many Indian nationals as well as Canadian citizens. Videos that quickly went viral on social media appeared to show protesters physically confronting worshipers outside the temple grounds. The footage showed chaotic scenes of fights, with people hitting each other with sticks as tensions rose.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau condemned the violence, emphasizing that every Canadian has the right to practice their faith in peace. “The acts of violence committed today at the Hindu Sabha Mandir in Brampton are unacceptable. Every Canadian has the right to practice their faith freely and safely,” Trudeau wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “Thank you to Peel Regional Police for responding quickly to protect the community and investigate this incident.”

The Center expressed deep concern over the safety of Indian nationals in Canada, while unequivocally condemning the attack on the Hindu Sabha temple.

“We witnessed today (November 3) violent disturbances by anti-India elements outside the consular camp co-hosted with the Hindu Sabha Mandir in Brampton, near Toronto,” the spokesperson said. – MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal in a statement. “We also remain very concerned about the safety of candidates, including Indian nationals, at whose request such events are being organized in the first place. Despite the efforts of anti-Indian elements, our consulate was able to issue more than 1,000 life certificates to Indian and Canadian Candidates.

No evidence, only information

India has consistently rejected any link to the killing of Nijjar, a designated terrorist by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), and has accused the Trudeau administration of pandering to Khalistan sympathizers for political purposes. The Trudeau government has accused India of being complicit in Nijjar’s murder, a claim India has vehemently denied.

India has called the allegations politically motivated, highlighting Canada’s failure to respond to the rising tide of pro-Khalistan sentiment in the country. In the aftermath of Nijjar’s death, Canadian police suggested that six Indian diplomats were involved in the plot, a claim that India quickly dismissed as “absurd.” Despite multiple exchanges, including meetings at international forums like the G20 Summit, Canada has failed to provide any conclusive evidence linking India to the murder.

Last month, the Center issued a scathing response to Canada’s accusations, rejecting allegations that Indian High Commissioner to Canada Sanjay Kumar Verma was a “person of interest” in Nijjar’s murder. India not only rejected the allegations regarding Verma, but also pointed out that despite repeated requests for evidence, Canada had not provided any substantial evidence to support its claims.

In a surprising admission at a public inquiry in October, Trudeau admitted that Canada had no “concrete evidence” in 2023 to support allegations linking Indian government agents to Nijjar’s murder. Speaking at a public inquiry into allegations of foreign interference in Canada’s federal electoral processes and democratic institutions, Trudeau revealed that his claims about Indian involvement were based on intelligence rather than conclusive evidence.

“I was informed that there was intelligence from Canada, and perhaps from the Five Eyes allies, that indicated quite clearly, incredibly clearly, that India was involved in this matter… Agents of the Indian government were involved in the murder of a Canadian on Canadian soil,” he said.

Trudeau explained that Canada had the opportunity to make these allegations public at the G20 summit in New Delhi in September 2023, but chose not to do so.

“Our response was: well, it’s within your security agencies,” Mr. Trudeau said, recounting exchanges between Canada and India. “At that point it was mostly intelligence, not hard evidence. So we said let’s work together and look at your security services.”

The Indian government has maintained that Canada provides sanctuary to pro-Khalistani extremists and separatists who pose a threat to India’s security. New Delhi also said it had requested action against these elements, which Canada did not take seriously.