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Canadian MP questions Justin Trudeau ally Jagmeet Singh's Hardeep Nijjar killing 'evidence'
Canadian MP Kevin Vuong asked the Justin Trudeau government to provide evidence backing its allegation against India over Hardeep Singh Nijjar's killing.
Canadian MP Kevin Vuong has asked the Justin Trudeau government to provide evidence backing its allegation that the Indian government was possibly behind the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar on its soil.
Nijjar, a Canadian citizen, was shot to death in June in British Columbia (BC). India has outrightly denied Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau's allegation of the Indian government's involvement in Nijjar's murder, which took place in the parking lot of a gurdwara in Surrey, BC.
However, Jagmeet Singh, the head of Canada's New Democratic Party, an ally of Trudeau's Liberal Party of Canada, said there was a “clear” indication of a foreign government being involved in the killing of a Canadian citizen. He also called for the inclusion of India in a probe launched in September of alleged interference in Canadian affairs by other countries, especially China.
"In my experience, as a Sikh Canadian, there have always been suspicions that India was interfering in the democratic rights of Canadians," Singh said.
Questioning Jagmeet Singh on NDTV, Kevin Vuong said if the New Democratic Party has “clear evidence” related to Nijjar’s death, “he has a duty to bring it forward to the appropriate authorities”.
“Canada is a country of #RuleOfLaw… Being the leader of a political party does not give you the right to be judge, jury & executioner,” he tweeted.
Tensions flared between India and Canada following Canadian Trudeau's explosive allegations against India. India had designated Nijjar as a terrorist in 2020.
India angrily rejected the allegations as "absurd" and "motivated" and expelled a senior Canadian diplomat in a tit-for-tat move to Ottawa's expulsion of an Indian official over the case.
What did Jagmeet Singh say on Nijjar killing?
“As the Prime Minister (Traudeu) shared publicly, there is Canadian intelligence which indicates that a Canadian citizen was killed on Canadian soil and a foreign government was implicated,” NDP leader Jagmeet Singh had told reporters in Ottawa.
Jagmeet Singh’s NDP is the fourth largest party in the House of Commons or Lower House of the Canadian Parliament.
Describing the allegations levelled by Trudeau against India as a very serious thing, Jagmeet Singh said his views were based on the intelligence briefing he received.
“This is unprecedented intelligence that has come forward and that is why we’re going to continue to urge that the Canadian government have a thorough investigation that those responsible are brought forward,” the NDP leader said.
Responding to a question, Jagmeet Singh said the United States has been very supportive of Canada’s call for transparency from India. “We are going to continue to push for those things,” he added.
Jagmeet Singh said he received the briefing on materials prepared by former governor-general David Johnston, who had been named as a special rapporteur to explore the issue. Johnston has now resigned from the role.
“The briefings were of the nature where I can confirm what the prime minister has shared publicly, that there is clear intelligence that Canada has that lays out the following case: that a Canadian citizen was killed on Canadian soil and a foreign government was involved … That intelligence is something that I think is very credible.”
(With inputs from agencies)
