Amid India-Canada Diplomatic Rift, Justin Trudeau's "Khalistani" Backpedal

As the diplomatic standoff between India and Canada continues, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has admitted for the first time the presence of Khalistanis in his country. In an unexpected statement, Trudeau acknowledged the presence of a Khalistan support base within Canada but quickly added that they do not represent the Sikh community as a whole. His remark came during a Diwali celebrations event at Ottawa's Parliament Hill. 

Relations between India and Canada have deteriorated since the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Khalistani terrorist, outside a gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia, in June 2023. Trudeau's allegation that India may have been involved in the murder set off a diplomatic firestorm that continues to rage. During his Diwali address, Trudeau stated that while there are supporters of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government in Canada, they do not represent all Hindu Canadians either.

"There are many supporters of Khalistan in Canada, but they do not represent the Sikh Community as a whole. There are supporters of the Modi government in Canada, but they do not represent all Hindu Canadians as a whole," he said. 

Growing Tensions

Earlier this week, protesters, some waving Khalistani flags, clashed with devotees at a temple in Canada's Brampton, throwing punches, swinging poles, and disrupting a consular event that had drawn Indian nationals and Canadian citizens alike. Videos that quickly went viral on social media appeared to show protesters physically confronting worshippers outside the temple grounds. The footage depicted chaotic scenes of fistfights, with people hitting each other with poles as the tension escalated. 

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau condemned the violence, stressing that every Canadian has the right to practice their faith in peace. "The acts of violence at the Hindu Sabha Mandir in Brampton today are unacceptable. Every Canadian has the right to practice their faith freely and safely," Trudeau wrote on X (formerly Twitter). "Thank you to the Peel Regional Police for swiftly responding to protect the community and investigate this incident."

The Centre expressed deep concern over the safety of Indian nationals in Canada, while unequivocally condemning the attack on the Hindu Sabha temple.

"We have seen violent disruption today (November 3), orchestrated by anti-India elements outside the consular camp co-organised with the Hindu Sabha Mandir in Brampton, near Toronto," said MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal in a statement. "We also remain very concerned for the safety of applicants, including Indian nationals, on whose demand such events are organised in the first place. Despite these efforts by anti-India elements, our Consulate was able to issue more than 1,000 life certificates to the Indian and Canadian applicants."

No Evidence, Only Intelligence

India has consistently rejected any link to the murder of Nijjar, a designated terrorist by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), and accused Trudeau's administration of pandering to Khalistani sympathisers for political gain. The Trudeau government has accused India of being complicit in Nijjar's killing, a claim India has vehemently denied.

India has termed the allegations as politically motivated, pointing to Canada's failure to address the rising tide of pro-Khalistan sentiment in the country. In the aftermath of Nijjar's death, Canadian police suggested that six Indian diplomats were involved in the plot, a claim that India quickly dismissed as "preposterous." Despite multiple exchanges, including meetings at international forums like the G20 Summit, Canada has failed to provide any conclusive evidence linking India to the murder.

Last month, the Centre issued a blistering response to Canada's charges, rejecting claims that India's High Commissioner to Canada, Sanjay Kumar Verma, was a "person of interest" in Nijjar's murder. India not only dismissed the claims about Verma but also pointed out that despite repeated requests for evidence, Canada had failed to share any substantive proof to substantiate its allegations. 

In a startling admission during a public inquiry in October, Trudeau admitted that Canada had no "hard evidentiary proof" in 2023 to support allegations linking Indian government agents to the killing of Nijjar.  Speaking during a public inquiry into alleged foreign interference in Canada's federal electoral processes and democratic institutions, Trudeau revealed that his claims about India's involvement were based on intelligence rather than conclusive evidence. 

"I was briefed on the fact that there was intelligence from Canada, and possibly from Five Eyes allies that made it fairly clear, incredibly clear, that India was involved in this... Agents of the government of India were involved in the killing of a Canadian on Canadian soil," he said.

Trudeau explained that Canada had the option to go public with the allegations during the G20 summit held in New Delhi in September 2023 but chose not to.

"Our response was, well, it's within your security agencies," Mr Trudeau said, recounting Canada's exchanges with India. "At that point, it was primarily intelligence, not hard evidentiary proof. So we said, let's work together and look into your security services."

The Indian government has argued that Canada provides a safe haven for pro-Khalistani extremists and separatists who pose a threat to India's security. New Delhi also said that it had requested action against these elements, which Canada had failed to take seriously.