Three Indian men were arrested in Canada with charges of first-degree murder and keeping the conspiracy to murder Nijjar, a supporter of Khalistan (A separate Sikh state) who was murdered outside the Sikh temple in British Columbia (Surrey) in June 2023. Karanpreet Singh, 28, Karan Brar, 22, and Kamalpreet Singh, 22, are the names of the three men arrested on May 3rd.
Earlier, in this case, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau hinted at and alleged prominent involvement of India in the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, which led to the disturbance in the relationship between India and Canada. In this case, India has denied all the allegations, and this could be the involvement of Sikh separatists in Canada who are portraying a false image of India.
While replying to this scenario, Indian External Affairs Minister Dr. S Jaishankar said that this Nijjar killing case is more about Canadian Internal politics and less about India. He also called out some names who are taking false advantage of Canadian democracy and are trying to fulfill their agenda.
Trudeau highlighted that Canada has immense value for its legal system, and they have a robust justice system to protect their citizens and safeguard their identity. Trudeau also feels that there is involvement of more individuals in this case apart from those three men.
Trudeau ensured safety among the citizens and stated that citizens have the right to live their lives peacefully and without any fear, as many from the Sikh community were scared after this incident.
However, India has time and again insisted and demanded that Canada take action against the pro-Khalistan elements existing in the country and not provide shelter and encouragement to such individuals, who use it to spread a false narrative against India.
It is because of this issue that both countries have had diplomatic tensions arise, which led to bitter relations between these two countries. India has often shown dissatisfaction with Canada's lack of cooperation. Meanwhile Canada has blamed India for interfering in their internal political matters, especially during elections.