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Nijjar regularly met Canadian intel officers: Son tells media

Sep 29, 2023 06:50 AM IST

Hardeep Singh Nijjar regularly met Canadian intelligence officers in the months leading to his death, his son alleged, according to a Canadian media report

New Delhi Khalistani leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar, whose killing has kicked off a diplomatic row between India and Canada, regularly met Canadian intelligence officers in the months leading up to his death, his son has alleged, according to a Canadian media report.

Hardeep Singh Nijjar was shot dead in Surrey town of British Columbia on June 18. (HT Archive)
Hardeep Singh Nijjar was shot dead in Surrey town of British Columbia on June 18. (HT Archive)

Balraj Singh Nijjar told Canadian news outlet Vancouver Sun last week that his father had been meeting with officers from the Canadian security intelligence service “one or twice a week,” the paper reported, a day after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told the Canadian Parliament that there was “credible” evidence linking Indian government agents to the June killing of Hardeep. The Indian government has rejected the claim and repeatedly called on the Canadian government to provide some evidence to back its allegation.

The meetings, Balraj told the outlet, started in February and increased in frequency in the following months with one meeting scheduled for two days after Hardeep’s death. Balraj also attended at least one meeting between his father and the Canadian police, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, who informed Hardeep of the threats against his life and advised him “stay home”.

Nijjar, a Canadian citizen, was shot dead in the parking lot of Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara in the town of Surrey in British Columbia on June 18. Nijjar was earlier designated a terrorist by the Indian government for his involvement in pro-Khalistan activities.

Balraj told the outlet that his father had received hundreds of messages telling him to stop advocating for Khalistan, with at least one message warning him that he would be killed if he didn’t.

“If you don’t stop talking about Khalistan, we’ll kill you. We know where you live. We know you go to this gurdwara,” one of the messages said, according to Balraj.

“We weren’t worried about safety because we weren’t doing anything wrong. We were just using freedom of speech,” Balraj told the outlet.

In his first comments on the subject, external affairs minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday said that India has told Canada that this kind of foreign operation “is not government of India (GOI) policy,” adding it was important to view the issue in the broader context of increasing organised crime related to secessionism and extremism as well as threats against Indian diplomats and violence against diplomatic premises in Canada.

The allegation has affected New Delhi’s ties with Ottawa, resulting in the suspension of free trade talks, expulsion of diplomats, and issuance of travel advisories. India has also suspended visas for Canadian citizens.

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