Furore Over Nijjar’s Killing: Security Around Canadian High Commission Beefed Up In Delhi Amid Tensions With India

Security around Canada High Commission was beefed up in the national capital amid tensions between India and Canada over the killing of Khalistani terrorist Harjeet Singh Nijjar. Delhi police personnel, besides paramilitary, were deployed at the High Commission of Canada, which is located in Chanakyapuri. The decision was taken as a precautionary measure to combat any untoward incident, news agency IANS quoted a senior Delhi Police officer as saying.

Also read: Indian-Origin Canadian MP Vows To Get ‘Justice’ For Harjeet Nijjar

This came after diplomatic tensions mounted between the two countries, which erupted after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged the Indian government’s involvement in the killing of pro-Khalistan terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar on their soil.

Trudeau said their agencies were actively perusing ‘credible allegations’ of potential links between agents of the government of India in the killing of a Canadian citizen (referring to the murder of Khalistani leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar). In the backdrop of the bedlam, Canada expelled a top Indian diplomat.

India, however, refuted the allegations calling them ‘absurd’ and ‘motivated’. Besides, in a tit-for-tat move, the Indian foreign office summoned the Canadian High Commissioner and expelled a senior diplomat in retaliation.

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However, after unprecedented diplomatic tensions and furore, Trudeau turned a bit soft on his blatant allegations and said Canada was not trying to provoke India. "The government of India needs to take this matter with the utmost seriousness. We are doing that, we are not looking to provoke or escalate," news agency Reuters reported him as saying.

Notably, Khalistan Tiger Force chief Hardeep Singh Nijjar was killed on June 18 this year after being shot by unidentified assailants in Surrey, Canada. He was also the head of the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara Sahib. Nijjar was India’s one of the most-wanted terrorists and the National Investigation Agency (NIA) declared a cash reward of Rs 10 lakh on him.

In the backdrop of the row, Indian-origin Canadian lawmaker Jagmeet Singh on Tuesday vowed to ensure justice over the killing of Nijjar. In a post on X (previously Twitter), Singh said he would not leave any stone unturned in the pursuit of justice and even would hold Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi responsible.