The Government of India says Prime Minister Justin Trudeausa国际传媒檚 claim is sa国际传媒渁bsurdsa国际传媒� after he told the House of Commons on Monday (Sept. 18) there is sa国际传媒渃rediblesa国际传媒� intelligence linking Indian government agents to the June 18 fatal shooting of Surrey Sikh temple president Hardeep Singh Nijjar, 45.
The slain Guru Nanak Gurdwara president, an ardent supporter of securing an independent Sikh nation in India called Khalistan, was killed in the parking lot of the temple, located in the 7000-block of Scott Road. The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team has yet to publicly identify a suspect or reply to the 狈辞飞-尝别补诲别谤sa国际传媒檚 request for comment on Trudeausa国际传媒檚 revelation.
The Ministry of External Affairs for the Government of India has issued a statement saying sa国际传媒渁llegations of Government of Indiasa国际传媒檚 involvement in any act of violence in Canada are absurd and motivated.
sa国际传媒淪imilar allegations were made by the Canadian Prime Minister to our Prime Minister, and were completely rejected,sa国际传媒� it reads.
sa国际传媒淲e reject any attempts to connect Government of India to such developments. We urge the Government of Canada to take prompt and effective legal action against all anti-India elements operating from their soil.sa国际传媒�
Bhupinder Singh Hothi, general secretary of the Surrey gurdwara, said Tuesday that sa国际传媒渋t was obvious that was going to comesa国际传媒� from Indiasa国际传媒檚 government. sa国际传媒淭heysa国际传媒檙e going to deny it, right. We expected that to come out.sa国际传媒�
He said there will be a sa国际传媒減eaceful protestsa国际传媒� at the gurdwara next Monday, Sept. 25. On Tuesday two large billboard signs out front were being removed, related to a non-binding referendum vote held there on Sept. 10 in which Hothi said 134,800 Sikhs over eight hours registered their support for Khalistan.
sa国际传媒淲esa国际传媒檙e taking that down because that was put up for the campaign. That referendum, thatsa国际传媒檚 done, right. Wave two is coming on Oct. 29,sa国际传媒� he said. sa国际传媒淲esa国际传媒檙e actually taking all the signs down, even the signs on the street.sa国际传媒�
Meantime, the World Sikh Organization of Canada called for sa国际传媒渋mmediate protectionsa国际传媒� for Canadian Sikhs who sa国际传媒渇ace a threat from India and its agentssa国际传媒� on the heels of Trudeausa国际传媒檚 comments, the significance of which WSO president Tejinder Singh Sidhu said sa国际传媒渃annot be understated for Sikhs.sa国际传媒�
sa国际传媒淭he Prime Minister of Canada has publicly said what Sikhs in Canada have known for decades sa国际传媒� India actively targets Sikhs in Canada,sa国际传媒� Sidhu said. sa国际传媒淚t should now be clear to all Canadians that the Government of India is a terrorist state that has brazenly engaged in extrajudicial killings not only on its own soil, but also on Canadian soil.sa国际传媒�
Sidhu demanded that sa国际传媒淚ndia cannot be allowed to disregard the rule of law and the sovereignty of foreign states. The killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar and other Sikh activists were terrorist acts that must be condemned by the international community. Those responsible for these killings must be immediately brought to justice. India should honour its international obligations and cooperate with the Government of Canada in investigating these matters.sa国际传媒�
Jinny Sims, NDP MLA for Surrey-Panorama, said any kind of interference by an sa国际传媒渙utside body on our sovereign country is unacceptable.
sa国际传媒淚sa国际传媒檓 against murder or killings of any kind, Isa国际传媒檓 against violence and people getting shot. People need to learn to start using words,sa国际传媒� she said. sa国际传媒淲hat I can tell you is we will have to let the feds and the RCMP do their job but I can tell you one thing, it doesnsa国际传媒檛 matter which country it is, it is totally unacceptable.sa国际传媒�
Sukh Dhaliwal, Liberal MP for Surrey-Newton, said Canada is a sa国际传媒渞ule of lawsa国际传媒� country and protecting its citizens and defending its sovereignty is of paramount importance. sa国际传媒淲esa国际传媒檝e got to make sure that we protect that.sa国际传媒�
Asked what kind of stick Canada has if Indian government agents were indeed involved in Nijjarsa国际传媒檚 murder, Dhaliwal said Trudeau has asked the Indian government to sa国际传媒渄o every effort to cooperate with Canadian agencies.sa国际传媒�
sa国际传媒淚ndia might be a major power but when it comes to the protection of Canadian citizens we cannot leave any stone unturned. We will do everything possible to protect the Canadians and our sovereignty and thatsa国际传媒檚 what we will continue to do.sa国际传媒�
sa国际传媒淚 know the community will be feeling very angry and frightened right now,sa国际传媒� Dhaliwal added. sa国际传媒淚 think its good to make an appeal that we all remain calm and steadfast in our commitment and make sure that the rule of law brings the justice out, and thatsa国际传媒檚 all I would like to say.sa国际传媒�
Premier David Eby said he too received a briefing from the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) on the allegations.
sa国际传媒淚 am deeply disturbed and angered by this information. Canadians across the country must be safe from the interference of foreign governments, including being targeted for threats or physical harm, including murder,sa国际传媒� Eby said. sa国际传媒淥ur democracy depends on it.sa国际传媒�
He said in light of the allegations his provincial government will sa国际传媒渆nhance protectionsa国际传媒� for British Columbians sa国际传媒渁gainst the violence or threats of state actors.
sa国际传媒淚 call, yet again, on the federal government to share all relevant information related to any known ongoing foreign interference and transnational organized crime threats with our provincial authorities and our government, so we may act in co-ordination and protect those at risk.sa国际传媒�
As the investigation continues, he added, he asks sa国际传媒渢hose who are rightly angry to support justice and accountability through our formal legal systems. It is what makes us strong and is what distinguishes us from those who would act illegally to advance their own ends through threats, assassinations and attacks.
sa国际传媒淲e will win and there will be justice, because it must be so to protect what is best about the province we love,sa国际传媒� Eby said.
The City of Surrey also issued a statement on Mayor Brenda Lockesa国际传媒檚 behalf.
sa国际传媒淭here is an ongoing investigation currently being conducted and I will monitor this very serious incident that has impacted our city and our country,sa国际传媒� she said. sa国际传媒淚 am confident that law enforcement agencies will ensure that the integrity of Canadian democracy and the safety of our citizens are protected. I hope that this investigation provides Mr. Nijjarsa国际传媒檚 family with the closure I am sure they seek.sa国际传媒�
The Ministry of External Affairs for the Government of Indiasa国际传媒� statement, in reply to Trudeausa国际传媒檚 claim, says India is a sa国际传媒渄emocratic polity with a strong commitment to rule of lawsa国际传媒� and that sa国际传媒渟uch unsubstantiated allegations seek to shift the focus from Khalistani terrorists and extremists, who have been provided shelter in Canada and continue to threaten Indiasa国际传媒檚 sovereignty and territorial integrity.
sa国际传媒淭he inaction of the Canadian Government on this matter has been a long-standing and continuing concern,sa国际传媒� it reads.
Indiasa国际传媒檚 statement also chides Canadian politicians whom it claims sa国际传媒渉ave openly expressed sympathy for such elementssa国际传媒� and that this sa国际传媒渞emains a matter of deep concern.sa国际传媒�
sa国际传媒淭he space given in Canada to a range of illegal activities including murders, human trafficking and organized crime is not new,sa国际传媒� it charges.
tom.zytaruk@surreynowleader.com
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