Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing the government of India of involvement in the fatal shooting of a Canadian Sikh leader — a claim that will have seismic effects on an already shaky bilateral relationship.
Canadian citizen Hardeep Singh Nijjar was brazenly shot dead outside a Sikh temple in Surrey, B.C. on June 18.
Nijjar, a supporter of a Sikh homeland in the form of an independent Khalistani state, had been branded by the Indian government as a “terrorist” and accused of leading a militant separatist group — something his supporters have denied.
Now, Trudeau said, Canada’s national security apparatus has reason to believe that “agents of the Indian government” carried out the killing of this Canadian citizen, who also served as the president of Surrey’s Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara.
Trudeau says ‘credible allegations’ link India to killing of Sikh leader in Canada
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says any foreign government involvement in the killing of a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil is ‘an unacceptable violation of our sovereignty.’
“Canadian security agencies have been actively pursuing credible allegations of a potential link between agents of the Government of India and the killing of a Canadian citizen, Hardeep Singh Nijjar,” Trudeau said Monday in a speech to the House of Commons.
“Any involvement of a foreign government in the killing of a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil is an unacceptable violation of our sovereignty. It is contrary to the fundamental rules by which free, open and democratic societies conduct themselves.
“As you would expect, we have been working closely and co-ordinating with our allies on this very serious matter.”
A senior government source told CBC News that Trudeau has briefed the leaders of some of Canada’s closest allies about the case, including U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, French President Emmanuel Macron and U.S. President Joe Biden.
Trudeau also urged the Indian government to participate in the ongoing investigation and “co-operate with Canada to get to the bottom of this matter.”
India’s ministry of external affairs issued a statement Monday night rejecting Trudeau’s allegations, calling them “absurd.”
“Such unsubstantiated allegations seek to shift the focus from Khalistani terrorists and extremists, who have been provided shelter in Canada and continue to threaten India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” the statement said.
“The inaction of the Canadian Government on this matter has been a long-standing and continuing concern.”
Trudeau said some Indo-Canadians are feeling “angry” and “perhaps frightened right now.”
“Let us not allow this to change us,” he said.
Canada expels senior Indian diplomat
Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly said she has ordered the expulsion of “a senior Indian diplomat.”
Joly’s office said that diplomat is Pavan Kumar Rai, the head of the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), India’s foreign intelligence agency, in Canada.
“My expectations are clear. I expect India to fully collaborate with us and get to the bottom of this,” Joly said.
Canada expels Indian diplomat as it investigates death of Sikh leader
Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly says allegations that an agent connected to the Indian government was behind the death of Canadian citizen Hardeep Singh Nijjar are ‘troubling’ and ‘completely unacceptable’ if true.
Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc said the RCMP is leading the murder investigation.
“We’ll hold the perpetrators accountable and bring them to justice,” he said.
B.C.’s Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) is responsible for the Nijjar file.
“It’s progressing,” RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme told CBC News when asked about the investigation.
The World Sikh Organization of Canada, a group that represents Sikh interests, said Nijjar spoke of “threats to his life” before his alleged murder.
He also claimed he was being targeted by India’s intelligence agencies, the WSO said in a media statement.
Members of the Sikh community are pictured on Monday at the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara where Hardeep Singh Nijjar was murdered in Surrey, B.C. (Ben Nelms/CBC)
Sikh group says ‘India actively targets Sikhs in Canada’
The WSO said “several other Canadian Sikhs are also understood to be under threat” and are on Indian “hit lists.”
“The significance of today’s announcement cannot be understated for Sikhs,” the WSO said.
“Today, the prime minister of Canada has publicly said what Sikhs in Canada have known for decades — India actively targets Sikhs in Canada.”
Trudeau said he raised the matter with India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi last week at the G20 summit in New Delhi.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau takes part in a bilateral meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the G20 Summit in New Delhi on Sept. 10. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press)
Trudeau and Modi have long had a frosty relationship.
After the bilateral meeting between the two leaders on the sidelines of that summit, the Indian government released a tersely worded communique that said Modi raised with Trudeau “strong concerns about continuing anti-Indian activists of extremist elements in Canada.”
The statement said there are elements in Canada “promoting secessionism” and “inciting violence against Indian diplomats, damaging diplomatic premises and threatening the Indian community in Canada.”
The Indian government called on the two countries to co-operate in dealing with “such threats.”
The Canadian communique on the same meeting made no mention of “secessionism.” It’s now clear why.
Trudeau links India to killing of Canadian Sikh leader
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Monday accused the government of India of being involved in the fatal shooting of Canadian citizen Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey, B.C., in June. CBC’s Evan Dyer breaks down what we know.
Last Tuesday, Trudeau and the Canadian delegation left India after an extended stay caused by a technical problem on the prime minister’s plane.
One member of the delegation was absent.
National Security Adviser Jody Thomas quietly left India for London, U.K., instead, a government source told CBC News.
She informed the U.K. government that Canada’s relations with India were about to get worse now that Canada had credible evidence linking India’s government to Nijjar’s death, the source said.
Trudeau also briefed the Opposition leaders personally Monday before rising to tell Canadians about this development.
Opposition leaders react to Trudeau’s allegations about Sikh leader’s death
Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre and NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh call on the Indian government to cooperate with Canadian authorities during their investigation.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said it’s “outrageous” that India may be behind Nijjar’s killing.
“Our citizens must be safe from extrajudicial killings. Canadians deserve to be protected on Canadian soil. We call on the Indian government to act with utmost transparency as authorities investigate this murder. The truth must come out,” Poilievre said.
“Let us lock arms and join hands in condemning this murder, standing with the family and the friends of this victim. Let’s put aside our difference to stand up for the rule of law. One law for all our people.”
In his own speech, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh blasted the Indian government under Modi, a Hindu.
Singh said the Modi-led government has been “one of division, violence, persecution” with a known pattern of “attacking those who are critical” of its actions.
Minister of Public Safety Dominic LeBlanc says the government has been ‘confronting’ Indian officials since it became aware of ‘credible allegations’ a ‘number of weeks ago.’Singh said he’d use “every tool” at his disposal to “bring those responsible to justice.”
“We will ensure that no rock is unturned, that every possible link is examined,” Singh said.
He said that the public inquiry into foreign interference, which was prompted by allegations of Chinese meddling, should also look at India and its actions in Canada.
B.C. Premier David Eby said he was “deeply disturbed and angered” by the news.
“In light of these revelations, we will do all we can to enhance protection for the people of British Columbia against the violence or threats of state actors,” he said in a media statement.
“Our government will fully and enthusiastically support any federal efforts to ensure those responsible are held personally accountable.”
Montreal Alouettes wide receiver Tyson Philpot has announced he will be out for the rest of the CFL season.
The Delta, B.C., native posted the news on his Instagram page Thursday.
“To Be Continued. Shoutout my team, the fans of the CFL and the whole city of Montreal! I can’t wait to be back healthy and write this next chapter in 2025,” the statement read.
Philpot, 24, injured his foot in a 33-23 win over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Aug. 10 and was placed on the six-game injured list the next week.
The six-foot-one, 195-pound receiver had 58 receptions, 779 yards and five touchdowns in nine games for the league-leading Alouettes in his third season.
Philpot scored the game-winning touchdown in Montreal’s Grey Cup win last season to punctuate a six-reception, 63-yard performance.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2024.
NAPA, Calif. (AP) — David Lipsky shot a 7-under 65 on Thursday at Silverado Country Club to take a one-stroke lead after the first round of the Procore Championship.
Winless in 104 events since joining the PGA Tour in 2022, Lipsky went out with the early groups and had eight birdies with one bogey to kick off the FedEx Cup Fall series at the picturesque course in the heart of Napa Valley wine country.
After missing the cut in his three previous tournaments, Lipsky flew from Las Vegas to Arizona to reunite with his college coach at Northwestern to get his focus back. He also spent time playing with some of the Northwestern players, which helped him relax.
“Just being around those guys and seeing how carefree they are, not knowing what’s coming for them yet, it’s sort of nice to see that,” Lipsky said. “I was almost energized by their youthfulness.”
Patton Kizzire and Mark Hubbard were a stroke back. Kizzire started on the back nine and made a late run with three consecutive birdies to move into a tie for first. A bogey on No. 8 dropped him back.
“There was a lot of good stuff out there today,” Kizzire said. “I stayed patient and just went through my routines and played well, one shot at a time. I’ve really bee working hard on my mental game and I think that allowed me to rinse and repeat and reset and keep playing.”
Mark Hubbard was at 67. He had nine birdies but fell off the pace with a bogey and triple bogey on back-to-back holes.
Kevin Dougherty also was in the group at 67. He had two eagles and ended his afternoon by holing out from 41 yards on the 383-yard, par-4 18th.
Defending champion Sahith Theegala had to scramble for much of his round of 69.
Wyndham Clark, who won the U.S. Open in 2023 and the AT&T at Pebble Beach in February, had a 70.
Max Homa shot 71. The two-time tournament champion and a captain’s pick for the President’s Cup in two weeks had two birdies and overcame a bogey on the par-4 first.
Stewart Cink, the 2020 winner, also opened with a 71. He won The Ally Challenge last month for his first PGA Tour Champions title.
Three players from the Presidents Cup International team had mix results. Min Woo Lee shot 68, Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., 69 and Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., 73. International team captain Mike Weir of Brights Grove, Ont., also had a 69.
Ben Silverman of Thornhill, Ont., had a 68, Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B.C., and Roger Sloan of Merritt, B.C., shot 70 and Adam Svensson of Surrey, B.C., had a 71.
Lipsky was a little shaky off the tee for much of the afternoon but made up for it with steady iron play that left him in great shape on the greens. He had one-putts on 11 holes and was in position for a bigger day but left five putts short.
Lipsky’s only real problem came on the par-4 ninth when his approach sailed into a bunker just shy of the green. He bounced back nicely with five birdies on his back nine. After missing a 19-foot putt for birdie on No. 17, Lipsky ended his day with a 12-foot par putt.
That was a big change from last year when Lipsky tied for 30th at Silverado when he drove the ball well but had uneven success on the greens.
“Sometimes you have to realize golf can be fun, and I think I sort of forgot that along the way as I’m grinding it out,” Lipsky said. “You’ve got to put things in perspective, take a step back. Sort of did that and it seems like it’s working out.”
Laird stayed close after beginning his day with a bogey on the par-4 10th. The Scot got out of the sand nicely but pushed his par putt past the hole.
Homa continued to have issues off the tee and missed birdie putts on his final four holes.
GUADALAJARA, Mexico – Canada’s Marina Stakusic is moving on to the quarterfinals of the Guadalajara Open.
The Mississauga, Ont., native defeated the tournament top seed, Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia, 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 (0) in the round of 16 on Thursday.
Stakusic faced a 0-4 deficit in the third and final set before marching back into the match.
The 19-year-old won five of the next six games to even it up before exchanging games to force a tiebreaker, where Stakusic took complete control to win the match.
Stakusic had five aces with 17 double faults in the three-hour, four-minute match.
However, she converted eight of her 18 break-point opportunities.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
