Surrey, Canada: The British Columbia Gurdwaras Council has called upon Canadian political parties to demonstrate leadership and unity to confront the threat of Indian foreign interference. A written press release issued by BC Gurdwara Council reads, in verbatim, as follows:-
Canada’s Political Parties Must Demonstrate Leadership and Unity to Confront the Threat of Indian Foreign Interference
(Surrey, BC, 6 Assu, Nanakshahi 555 / September 22, 2023 CE) – In light of the Prime Minister’s revelation in Parliament that Indian agents were behind the political assassination of Bhai Hardeep Singh Nijjar, Sikhs across the country are calling on all Canadian parties to demonstrate the leadership and unity required to confront the threat of Indian foreign interference. The tone and demeanour of all elected officials must appropriately reflect the gravity of the circumstances, which include the extrajudicial killing of one Canadian citizen and ongoing threats to a number of others due to their political beliefs.
Putting differences aside, it is imperative that Canada’s political parties present a united front on this critical issue and one of the most intrusive violations of Canadian sovereignty. Canadian parties of all stripes must be unequivocally clear: Canada should not be a playground for foreign agents to orchestrate murders and violate basic international principles with impunity. There must be unequivocal condemnation and meaningful repercussions for the perpetrators.
It is important that Canada’s opposition parties hold the Government accountable for its handling of this issue and call for transparency. It is utterly unacceptable however, to approach this matter lightly and suggest that Canada’s Prime Minister, Canada’s intelligence agencies, or Canada’s intelligence partners, may fabricate or manipulate intelligence for the partisan interests of one party. The lives of Sikhs living in Canada are not cannon fodder for politicians.
In this regard, Sikhs in Canada are particularly concerned by the flippant and partisan comments made by Pierre Poilievre, Leader of the Official Opposition, on Tuesday, undermining the gravity and veracity of the intelligence relied upon to make Monday’s statement in Parliament. His silence on this unfolding issue, and that of the entire CPC caucus, since Tuesday is equally alarming. Sikhs across the country are especially shocked by the complete silence of Tim Uppal and Jasraj Hallan, the only Sikh members of the CPC caucus, who have a clear and intimate understanding of the impacts Indian foreign interference and intimidation have had in our community for decades.
The Government must be held accountable and demonstrate the highest degree of transparency, but under no circumstances should this issue be misused for the partisan interests of any party. To ensure the utmost transparency, all parties should join our call for a public inquiry to examine and publicly disclose the complete reality and full range of threats posed by Indian foreign interference in Canada, as well as the failure of Canadian security and intelligence agencies in stopping the murder despite prior knowledge of an active threat.