Hardeep Singh Nijjar's murder hits India-Canada relations

The India-Canada relations have become tense amid expulsion of an Indian diplomat and Canadian PM Justin Trudeau accusing India of being behind Hardeep Singh Nijjar's death. Earlier, Khalistani supporters took to the streets of Toronto, London, Melbourne and San Francis protesting against the Indian government.

Chandigarh:A prominent Sikh leader and Khalistani supporter, Hardeep Singh Nijjar was murdered outside a gurudwara in Surrey city of Canada in June. His death has not only left his supporters in anger but intensified the tension between the Sikh separatists and the Indian government. Several Sikh separatists protested against his death on the streets of Toronto, London, Melbourne and San Francisco.

Hailing from Punjab's Jalandhar district, Nijhar was a native of Bharsingh village adjacent to Phillaur town. His supporters said that his pro-Khalistan activities put his life into danger.

In 2022, National Investigation Agency (NIA) charged Nijhar of extortion and allegedly plotting the murder of a Hindu priest in Jalandhar. A prize money was also announced for his arrest. It is said that the plot to kill the priest was hatched by the Nijjar, who was the head of the Khalistan Tiger Force and lived in Canada. Also, a chargesheet was filed by NIA against Nijjar in a terror conspiracy case.

Nijjar was shot dead by two unidentified gunmen in June. Following his death, several Khalistani supporters took to the streets in protest accusing Indian government responsible for Nijjar's death. His death has brought to the fore a demand for a separate homeland for Sikhs.

Now, the Canadian government has accused India of being involved Nijjar's death. The Canadian government has expelled a top Indian diplomat in this connection while Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has demanded cooperation from the Indian government to investigate the murder case. Apart from this, the trade issues between India and Canada have also been derailed due to this.