Canada’s House of Commons Passes Motion Linking Nijjar’s Assessination to India

Ottawa: Canada’s House of Commons made a noteworthy move on 8 May by passing a private member’s motion about Indian connection to the tragic killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar on 18 June 2023. 

The motion, titled “Political Interference, Violence or Intimidation on Canadian Soil”, was spearheaded by Indo-Canadian MP Sukh Dhaliwal on 12 February 2024, gaining support from eight other Indo-Canadian MPs. 

Remarkably, the motion garnered 326 votes in favor, with none against, including backing from Canadian PM Justin Trudeau, various cabinet ministers, and Pierre Poilievre, leader of the opposition Conservative Party.

Hardeep Singh Nijjar

The motion underscored recent events, particularly the possible association between agents of the Indian government and Hardeep Singh Nijjar‘s assassination at a place of worship within Canadian borders, as emblematic of escalating forms of intimidation and interference from countries like India, China, Russia, and Iran. Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly reiterated Ottawa’s stance, affirming that Hardeep Singh Nijjar was indeed “killed on Canadian soil by Indian agents.”

The accused, from left, Karan Brar, Kamalpreet Singh and Karanpreet Singh

Indian High Commissioner Sanjay Kumar Verma, in his first public remarks since the arrest of three Indian citizens accused in Hardeep Singh Nijjar’s murder, sought to downplay any international implications, characterizing the incident as domestic crime. Nevertheless, he issued a warning to Sikh groups in Canada advocating for the separation of their homeland from India, cautioning against crossing “a big red line.”

Amandeep, a resident of Brampton, Ontario is charged with first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder

Subsequently, on 11 May, Canada apprehended a fourth Indian national, 22-year-old Amandeep Singh, on charges of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder in connection to Hardeep Singh Nijjar’s assessination. The developments mark a significant escalation in the legal and diplomatic ramifications surrounding Hardeep Singh Nijjar’s case, highlighting the complex intersections between national sovereignty, diaspora politics, foreign interference, transnational repression and justice.