Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has made allegations of India's involvement in the alleged killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a prominent Canadian Sikh leader. India promptly dismissed these claims as "absurd." Trudeau revealed this information in the House of Commons, stating that national security authorities had been investigating these allegations. However, India's Ministry of External Affairs rejected these statements, labelling them as baseless. 

Trudeau's handling of the Khalistan issue has not only drawn a strong reaction from India, it has invited criticism within Canada. The expulsion of an Indian diplomat following the Canadian government’s accusations against India in connection with Nijjar's death has not gone down well with some Canadian mediapersons. This decision to expel a diplomat based on an “internal report” during an ongoing investigation has sparked a controversy with the move being described as “insane behaviour”.

Canadian journalist Daniel Bordman wrote on X (formerly Twitter), “To expel an Indian diplomat based on an internal report (In a fu***** ongoing investigation!!!) that has a "potential" that Indian government was involved in the death of Hardeep Singh Nijjar is insane. Absolutely bat sh*t insane behaviour form Trudeau and CO.”

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He wrote in another post, "This is a government that has a history of taking drastic actions based of an intelligence report based on a retracted CBC article, so forgive me for pointing out that no one in the international community is going to gives us the benefit of the doubt."

ALSO READ: Who Was Hardeep Singh Nijjar, Khalistani Terrorist Whose Death Has Sparked Fresh Tensions Between India And Canada

The comment section was also flooded with criticism for the Canadian PM as one user wrote, "He has already influenced the investigation. No one will now trust the outcome."  Another comment read, "This also explains that Trudeau and his govt accepts that anti India Khalistani forces are active in Canada and have the support of Canadian govt.”

Senior Canadian journalist Tahir Aslam Gora expressed concerns about how Trudeau could make such a statement in Parliament amid the growing tensions between the two countries. 

He said, “Canadians too are in shock and we always wanted the investigation to be completed to know the facts... We still have this question, how has the investigation been completed in just 3 months and how can PM Trudeau make such a statement in the Parliament?” 


Trudeau's stance on the Khalistan issue has garnered criticism both domestically and internationally, notably during his visit to India, where he received warnings from Prime Minister Narendra Modi. 

Canada's leading newspaper, The Toronto Sun, even featured a front-page headline depicting Modi gesturing for Trudeau to move forward after a handshake at Raj Ghat. Additionally, foreign news agencies like Reuters and Bloomberg reported on Trudeau receiving “scolding” and “criticism” from Modi during their talks.

ALSO READ: India Expels Canadian Envoy After Allegations Over Khalistani Terrorist's Death, Asks To Leave Country In Five Days | Video

Another Canadian journalist, Rupa Subramanya questioned the administration over granting citizenship to Hardeep Singh Nijjar even after so many discrepancies. She said, "Canadian immigration officials actually found Nijjar to be not credible and rejected his application at least a couple of times. Yet he was granted residency and citizenship. You really have to wonder what is going on with the Canadian immigration system."


Declining Popularity Of Justin Trudeau

In the recent years, Trudeau has seen a decline in his popularity. According to a July 2023 survey by Research Co, 30 per cent Canadians voted him as the worst Prime minister in the last 55 years. In contrast, his father Pierre Trudeau ranked as the most popular Canadian PM since 1968.

Another survey released by the research group in February 2023, found that Trudeau has lost favour in Western Canada as more than 50 per cent Canadians in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, British Columbia and Ontario think their province would be better off with a different prime minister.


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