Biden and Global Leaders Raise Concerns Over Canadian Sikh Activist’s Murder with Modi During G20
In a recent development, it has come to light that during this month’s G20 conference, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was confronted by US President Joe Biden and other prominent world leaders regarding allegations made by Canada. These allegations revolved around India’s purported involvement in the assassination of a Canadian Sikh activist leader, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, which occurred in June.
The Financial Times, drawing from information provided by three individuals knowledgeable about the summit’s discussions, reported that several members of the Five Eyes alliance, an intelligence-sharing network consisting of the US, the UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, brought up the matter of Nijjar’s killing in British Columbia during the G20 summit, directing Modi’s attention to it.
It is noteworthy that this summit took place in India shortly before Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau publicly aired his accusations in a speech to the Canadian parliament earlier this week.
According to the newspaper, the leaders’ intervention at the G20 summit followed Canada’s call for its allies to engage directly with Modi on the case.
In response to Ottawa’s allegations regarding the murder of the Sikh activist leader, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan stated earlier on Thursday that Washington is actively engaged with New Delhi at the highest levels and is not affording India any “special exemption” in this matter, as reported by Reuters.
While India has vehemently denied the allegations and labeled Canada’s claims as “absurd,” the crisis has further strained relations between Canada and India. As a consequence, India has taken measures, including suspending the issuance of new visas to Canadians and requesting a reduction in Canada’s diplomatic presence in the country.
The evolving situation poses a challenge for some Western nations, as Canada has historically been a staunch ally and partner. These governments are concurrently endeavoring to foster strong ties with India in an effort to counterbalance China’s growing influence in the Asian region.