BC Sikhs respond to RCMP allegations linking India to violent crimes in Canada

Members of B.C.’s Sikh community are speaking out in response to the RCMP’s stunning allegations that Indian diplomats are linked to violent crimes on Canadian soil.

Representatives of the Guru Nanak Sikh Temple — as well as those close to Hardeep Singh Nijjar, the president who was shot dead last year — said they feel vindicated by developments in the RCMP investigation.

The military said Monday it has evidence of India’s alleged involvement in crimes, including murder and extortion, targeting the Sikh separatist movement.

The Canadian government has now expelled six Indian diplomats, including the High Commissioner, creating a diplomatic storm between the two countries. India responded by announcing it was expelling six Canadian diplomats, including the top two based in New Delhi.

The RCMP’s latest allegations come as no surprise to some members of the Sikh community who have faced numerous threats, including Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, the spokesperson for Sikhs for Justice.

“They tried to kill me in New York,” he said. “In Canada they also committed a drive-by shooting at my good friend’s house.”

The RCMP said it has issued warnings to more than a dozen people over the past year as it conducted its investigation. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau described India’s alleged involvement in the violence as a “highly unacceptable violation of Canadian sovereignty and international law.”

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh called the allegations “deeply disturbing” and a “threat to Canadian democracy” at a news conference on Tuesday. He also called for an emergency meeting of the government’s public security committee.

Moninder Singh, spokesperson for the BC Gurdwaras Council, knew Hardeep Singh Nijjar for more than 15 years before his murder, and has been in regular contact with his family since. He called the vindication the community feels “bittersweet.”

“We had to lose such a respected and beloved leader in our community in Hardeep Singh … to show that India is actually carrying out all these clandestine activities in Canada,” he said.

Four Indian nationals have been charged with his murder.

India has denied allegations that its diplomats collected information about South Asian Canadians and then passed that information on to criminals who took violent action.

Despite the damning accusations, Sikh leaders said they will not be silenced and are not afraid.

“These assassination attempts and death threats will not stop us from advocating for the Khalistan movement,” Pannun said.

With files from the Canadian Press