Renewed Indo-Canada ties concern protesters on anniversary of Nijjar killing

Protesters marking the second anniversary of the killing of B.C. Sikh community leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar say they're concerned about the renewal of Canada's relations with India, whose agents police have linked to the shooting.

Sikh Federation Canada spokesman Moninder Singh said it was "frustrating" to see Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi attending the G7 meeting in Alberta this week, where he met Prime Minister Mark Carney.

"India is still a major player when it comes to foreign interference and transnational repression," said Singh, who was among several dozen people protesting outside the building that houses Vancouver's Indian consulate on Wednesday.

Canada and India agreed to designate new high commissioners and restore regular diplomatic services to citizens after the G7 meeting.

Singh said there's been no co-operation from India since the assassination of Nijjar in Surrey, B.C., in 2023 and there are ongoing issues with extortion, violence and "threats to Canadians on Canadian soil."

He said Nijjar's murder has "galvanized" the Sikh community in the two years since he was gunned down outside the Guru Nanak Gurdwara where he was the president.

"It was a wake-up call that violence has made its way to Canada, unfortunately onto the streets here," he said.

Singh said he and other Sikh activists have been warned by Canadian law enforcement about a danger of "imminent assassination," and Modi's presence is particularly concerning for those under threat of state-sponsored violence.

RCMP have said there's credible evidence linking the 2023 killing of Nijjar to agents of the Indian government.

Four Indian nationals have been charged with first-degree murder and the court process is ongoing.

The Canadian Security Intelligence Service said Wednesday in its annual report that Indian officials and their proxy agents in Canada continue to engage in a range of activities that seek to influence Canadian communities and politicians.

Singh said Canada should hold a public inquiry solely focused on India in light of Nijjar's assassination, as well as ongoing extortion and threats of violence against South Asian communities in B.C., Ontario and elsewhere.

"A public inquiry is the only way we understand India, we understand how deeply they've penetrated into Canada, how they're undermining us, what tactics they're using," he said. "Canada's sovereignty is being undermined by a country like India, who's coming on Canadian soil and killing Canadian citizens here."

Protesters on Wednesday waved flags and shouted slogans in support of Khalistan, a separatist Sikh state that they want created in India.

Imren Kaur Sahota said she showed up to the protest to mark two years since Nijjar's assassination, and noted that it's not only an issue for Sikhs in Canada.

"It's important for anybody that believes in the sovereignty of Canada," she said.

Sahota said it was "disappointing" to see Modi being invited to Canada after his government was implicated in Nijjar's assassination.

"It was hurtful that it was something so easy for them to step over," she said.