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CBC
19-06-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Pro-Khalistan Sikhs protest on second anniversary of Hardeep Singh Nijjar's death
Social Sharing Dozens of pro-Khalistan Sikh activists protested outside the Indian consulate in Vancouver on Wednesday to mark the second anniversary of the killing of B.C. gurdwara leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar. The Khalistan movement refers to a Sikh separatist movement that seeks to create an independent Sikh state in parts of northern India. Nijjar, a key organizer for an unofficial overseas referendum on Khalistan, was gunned down in the parking lot of Surrey, B.C.'s Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara, where he was president, on June 18, 2023. Moninder Singh, spokesperson for the Sikh Federation (Canada), said Nijjar's death has galvanized the community over the last two years. "It was a wake-up call that that violence has made its way to Canada, unfortunately." Singh said at the Vancouver protest. WATCH | Protest held on anniversary of Nijjar's death: Questions remain 2 years after the death of pro-Khalistan activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar 31 minutes ago Duration 2:06 Hardeep Singh Nijjar was a gurdwara leader who advocated for an independent Sikh state, known as Khalistan, in parts of present-day India. He was killed at the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara in Surrey in 2023, in a high-profile case that strained relations between Canada and India. Four Indian nationals have since been charged with first-degree murder in relation to the death. As CBC's Jessica Cheung explains, some in the Surrey community are still looking for answers regarding who ordered Nijjar's death and whether there are more targets. Four Indian nationals — Karan Brar, Kamalpreet Singh, Karanpreet Singh and Amandeep Singh — have been charged with murder and conspiracy to commit murder in connection with Nijjar's killing. Months after Nijjar's death in 2023, then-prime minister Justin Trudeau accused the Indian government of being linked to Nijjar's killing, leading to strained relations between India and Canada. On Wednesday, Singh highlighted that the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) has said India's government continues to be a foreign interference concern, according to its annual report released Tuesday. "Links between the Government of India and the Nijjar murder signals a significant escalation in India's repression efforts against the Khalistan movement and a clear intent to target individuals in North America," said the CSIS report. Singh said the issue of foreign interference extends beyond the Sikh community. "That's actually violating Canada's sovereignty, undermining its electoral process, its democratic institutions," he said. "So for us this is really very much a Canadian issue, and not just a Sikh issue." Day after G7 meeting The anniversary rally comes a day after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the G7 summit in Alberta and met with his Canadian counterpart, Mark Carney. After the meeting, the two countries agreed to reinstate their high commissioners and are eyeing renewed visa services to each other's citizens and businesses, in a sign that Canada-India relations are defrosting. Singh said it was "frustrating" to see Modi at the meeting, and added that rebuilding the bilateral relationship without set outcomes is "very, very premature." He said without clear objectives, the Canadian government won't be able to share how it has mitigated the threat of India's foreign influence. At the G7, Carney did not directly answer a journalist's question about his discussion with Modi about Nijjar's murder. "We have had a discussion, the prime minister and I, about the importance of having the law enforcement-to-law enforcement dialogue, not just dialogue, but co-operation," Carney said during a G7 news conference Tuesday.
South China Morning Post
14-06-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Canada's Sikhs, outraged by Modi G7 invitation, plan to protest
Members of Canada's Sikh community who were warned by police that the`ir lives were at risk and allege the Indian government is responsible for the threat are incensed by Ottawa's invitation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the G7 summit in Alberta. Advertisement Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney invited Modi, although India is not a member of the group of seven economies, to attend the summit that starts on Sunday as a guest. It will be Modi's first visit to Canada in a decade and a diplomatic test for Carney, a political neophyte. Canada's relationship with India has been tense since former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in 2023 accused India's government of involvement in the June 18, 2023, murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Sikh separatist leader in Canada. Modi's government has denied involvement in Nijjar's killing and has accused Canada of providing a safe haven for Sikh separatists. ''Outrage' is the kind of term that I've heard from people,' Sikh activist Moninder Singh, a friend of Nijjar, said of the invitation. He and other Sikh leaders plan to hold a protest in Ottawa on Saturday. Carney, locked in a trade war with the United States, is trying to shore up alliances elsewhere and diversify Canada's exports. Carney told reporters he invited India due to its importance in global supply chains. Mourners carry the casket of Sikh community leader and temple president Hardeep Singh Nijjar, in Surrey, British Columbia, June 25, 2023. Photo: AP India's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a Thursday press briefing that a meeting between Modi and Carney 'will offer an important opportunity for them to exchange views on bilateral and global issues and explore pathways to set or reset the relationship.' Sikhs face threats
13-06-2025
- Politics
More than a dozen Canadian Sikhs face active assassination threats, organization warns
More than a dozen Canadian Sikhs live under active threats on their lives, an advocacy organization is warning. Those threats originate from India, said Balpreet Singh, a lawyer and spokesperson for the World Sikh Organization. The group argues it's unconscionable for the federal government to invite Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to next week's G7 meeting (new window) . Singh called for a series of actions to be taken against India at a news conference on Parliament Hill on Thursday alongside Moninder Singh, a spokesperson for the Sikh Federation (Canada). The father of two said he'd been warned by law enforcement about threats on his life about a half-dozen times in the last few years. Moninder Singh described leaving his home for months at a time, making arrangements with child protection services as well as the RCMP. You move around, constantly looking over your shoulder. You want to make sure that you're not in overly public environments, where other people could be harmed, said Moninder Singh. You can't go to your kid's school, you can't go to their practices, you can't go to family events. You avoid weddings, you avoid any type of family gatherings. WATCH | Modi G7 invite sends message 'our lives simply don't matter': Début du widget Widget. Passer le widget ? Fin du widget Widget. Retourner au début du widget ? Modi G7 invite sends message 'our lives simply don't matter': Sikh organization The World Sikh Organization of Canada is calling on Prime Minister Mark Carney to revoke Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's G7 invite unless three conditions are met. Balpreet Singh, the group's legal counsel, calls the invitation a 'betrayal of Canada's core values.' The two men said the Canadian government should not only rescind Modi's invitation, but also launch a public inquiry specifically targeting Indian foreign interference and transnational repression in Canada, as well as cancel intelligence-sharing agreements between the two countries. Earlier on Thursday, Global News cited confidential sources (new window) in reporting that former NDP leader Jagmeet Singh was targeted by a suspected Indian government agent in 2023, resulting in the leader getting police protection. The report says police no longer believe Singh is in imminent danger. CBC News has not independently confirmed that story. At the news conference, Moninder Singh said ending intelligence-sharing with India could make it harder for the country to surveil the NDP leader and Sikh activists. Balpreet Singh said he's heard the former NDP leader no longer has police protection, something he thinks is a mistake. CBC News sent questions to the federal Public Safety Department as well as the RCMP for details on Sikhs who have been targeted, including Jagmeet Singh. The government department deferred to the Mounties, which have yet to provide a statement. The idea to me that the leader of a Canadian political party could be targeted is such a clear indication of foreign interference, said the NDP's foreign affairs critic, Heather McPherson. To find out that Mr. Singh no longer has any sort of protection, when the threat is very real against him, it's appalling. All Canadians have the right to feel safe, said Conservative MP Andrew Scheer, the interim Opposition leader. Scheer said specific threats against a prominent Canadian who's held public office is something that our security officials should take very seriously. WATCH | Liberal calls Modi invite 'a bad idea': Liberal MP says Modi coming to Canada is 'a bad idea' 2 days agoDuration1:58Speaking to reporters in Ottawa, B.C. Liberal MP Sukh Dhaliwal said he met with Prime Minister Mark Carney Wednesday morning to express concerns he says his constituents have with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi being invited to the upcoming G7 summit in Alberta. The WSO's Balpreet Singh said other Canadian Sikh politicians are afraid to criticize India out of fear for their and their loved ones' safety. He declined to say which politicians have told him this. Imagine what that means to our democracy, said McPherson. Carney has said it makes sense to have the leader of the world's most populous country around the table when there are big challenges to discuss. Modi has been present at several recent G7 leaders' summits. At last year's event in Italy, he had a brief one-on-one with former prime minister Justin Trudeau. A dozen members of Carney's own caucus met him on Wednesday to raise their concerns about the decision (new window) , though many Liberals have also defended the invite. Liberal MP Charles Sousa said Canadians are concerned about their position on the world stage. India makes sense to be part of a global discussion, he said. Canada-India relations have been on shaky ground since Trudeau and the RCMP alleged Indian agents were involved in the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar (new window) , the Canadian Khalistani separatist who was brazenly gunned down outside a Sikh temple in B.C. in 2023. Raffy Boudjikanian (new window) · CBC News
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
More than a dozen Canadian Sikhs face active assassination threats, organization warns
More than a dozen Canadian Sikhs live under active threats on their lives, an advocacy organization is warning. "Those threats originate from India," said Balpreet Singh, a lawyer and spokesperson for the World Sikh Organization. The group argues it's unconscionable for the federal government to invite Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to next week's G7 meeting. Singh called for a series of actions to be taken against India at a news conference on Parliament Hill on Thursday alongside Moninder Singh, a spokesperson for the Sikh Federation (Canada). The father of two said he'd been warned by law enforcement about threats on his life about a half-dozen times in the last few years. Moninder Singh described leaving his home for months at a time, making arrangements with child protection services as well as the RCMP. "You move around, constantly looking over your shoulder. You want to make sure that you're not in overly public environments, where other people could be harmed," said Moninder Singh. "You can't go to your kid's school, you can't go to their practices, you can't go to family events. You avoid weddings, you avoid any type of family gatherings." WATCH | Modi G7 invite sends message 'our lives simply don't matter': The two men said the Canadian government should not only rescind Modi's invitation, but also launch a public inquiry specifically targeting Indian foreign interference and transnational repression in Canada, as well as cancel intelligence-sharing agreements between the two countries. Earlier on Thursday, Global News cited confidential sources in reporting that former NDP leader Jagmeet Singh was targeted by a suspected Indian government agent in 2023, resulting in the leader getting police protection. The report says police no longer believe Singh is in imminent danger. CBC News has not independently confirmed that story. At the news conference, Moninder Singh said ending intelligence-sharing with India could make it harder for the country to surveil the NDP leader and Sikh activists. Balpreet Singh said he's heard the former NDP leader no longer has police protection, something he thinks is a mistake. CBC News sent questions to the federal Public Safety Department as well as the RCMP for details on Sikhs who have been targeted, including Jagmeet Singh. The government department deferred to the Mounties, which have yet to provide a statement. "The idea to me that the leader of a Canadian political party could be targeted is such a clear indication of foreign interference," said the NDP's foreign affairs critic, Heather McPherson. "To find out that Mr. Singh no longer has any sort of protection, when the threat is very real against him, it's appalling." "All Canadians have the right to feel safe," said Conservative MP Andrew Scheer, the interim Opposition leader. Scheer said specific threats against a prominent Canadian who's held public office is "something that our security officials should take very seriously." WATCH | Liberal calls Modi invite 'a bad idea': The WSO's Balpreet Singh said other Canadian Sikh politicians are afraid to criticize India out of fear for their and their loved ones' safety. He declined to say which politicians have told him this. "Imagine what that means to our democracy," said McPherson. Carney has said it makes sense to have the leader of the world's most populous country around the table when there are "big challenges" to discuss. Modi has been present at several recent G7 leaders' summits. At last year's event in Italy, he had a brief one-on-one with former prime minister Justin Trudeau. A dozen members of Carney's own caucus met him on Wednesday to raise their concerns about the decision, though many Liberals have also defended the invite. Liberal MP Charles Sousa said Canadians are concerned about their position on the world stage. "India makes sense to be part of a global discussion," he said. Canada-India relations have been on shaky ground since Trudeau and the RCMP alleged Indian agents were involved in the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, the Canadian Khalistani separatist who was brazenly gunned down outside a Sikh temple in B.C. in 2023.
CBC
12-06-2025
- Politics
- CBC
More than a dozen Canadian Sikhs face active assassination threats, organization warns
Social Sharing More than a dozen Canadian Sikhs live under active threats on their lives, an advocacy organization is warning. "Those threats originate from India," said Balpreet Singh, a lawyer and spokesperson for the World Sikh Organization. The group argues it's unconscionable for the federal government to invite Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to next week's G7 meeting. Singh called for a series of actions to be taken against India at a news conference on Parliament Hill on Thursday alongside Moninder Singh, a spokesperson for the Sikh Federation (Canada). The father of two said he'd been warned by law enforcement about threats on his life about a half-dozen times in the last few years. Moninder Singh described leaving his home for months at a time, making arrangements with child protection services as well as the RCMP. "You move around, constantly looking over your shoulder. You want to make sure that you're not in overly public environments, where other people could be harmed," said Moninder Singh. "You can't go to your kid's school, you can't go to their practices, you can't go to family events. You avoid weddings, you avoid any type of family gatherings." WATCH | Modi G7 invite sends message 'our lives simply don't matter': Modi G7 invite sends message 'our lives simply don't matter': Sikh organization 5 hours ago Duration 1:32 The World Sikh Organization of Canada is calling on Prime Minister Mark Carney to revoke Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's G7 invite unless three conditions are met. Balpreet Singh, the group's legal counsel, calls the invitation a 'betrayal of Canada's core values.' The two men said the Canadian government should not only rescind Modi's invitation, but also launch a public inquiry specifically targeting Indian foreign interference and transnational repression in Canada, as well as cancel intelligence-sharing agreements between the two countries. Earlier on Thursday, Global News cited confidential sources in reporting that former NDP leader Jagmeet Singh was targeted by a suspected Indian government agent in 2023, resulting in the leader getting police protection. The report says police no longer believe Singh is in imminent danger. CBC News has not independently confirmed that story. At the news conference, Moninder Singh said ending intelligence-sharing with India could make it harder for the country to surveil the NDP leader and Sikh activists. Balpreet Singh said he's heard the former NDP leader no longer has police protection, something he thinks is a mistake. CBC News sent questions to the federal Public Safety Department as well as the RCMP for details on Sikhs who have been targeted, including Jagmeet Singh. The government department deferred to the Mounties, which have yet to provide a statement. "The idea to me that the leader of a Canadian political party could be targeted is such a clear indication of foreign interference," said the NDP's foreign affairs critic, Heather McPherson. "To find out that Mr. Singh no longer has any sort of protection, when the threat is very real against him, it's appalling." "All Canadians have the right to feel safe," said Conservative MP Andrew Scheer, the interim Opposition leader. Scheer said specific threats against a prominent Canadian who's held public office is "something that our security officials should take very seriously." WATCH | Liberal calls Modi invite 'a bad idea': Liberal MP says Modi coming to Canada is 'a bad idea' 1 day ago Duration 1:58 Speaking to reporters in Ottawa, B.C. Liberal MP Sukh Dhaliwal said he met with Prime Minister Mark Carney Wednesday morning to express concerns he says his constituents have with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi being invited to the upcoming G7 summit in Alberta. The WSO's Balpreet Singh said other Canadian Sikh politicians are afraid to criticize India out of fear for their and their loved ones' safety. He declined to say which politicians have told him this. "Imagine what that means to our democracy," said McPherson. Carney has said it makes sense to have the leader of the world's most populous country around the table when there are "big challenges" to discuss. Modi has been present at several recent G7 leaders' summits. At last year's event in Italy, he had a brief one-on-one with former prime minister Justin Trudeau. A dozen members of Carney's own caucus met him on Wednesday to raise their concerns about the decision, though many Liberals have also defended the invite. Liberal MP Charles Sousa said Canadians are concerned about their position on the world stage. "India makes sense to be part of a global discussion," he said. , the Canadian Khalistani separatist who was brazenly gunned down outside a Sikh temple in B.C. in 2023.
