Hardeep Singh Nijjar | |
---|---|
![]() | |
Born | Hardeep Singh Nijjar 11 October 1977 |
Died | 18 June 2023 Surrey, British Columbia, Canada | (aged 45)
Cause of death | Multiple gunshots |
Citizenship |
|
Organization | Sikhs for Justice |
Movement | Khalistan |
Hardeep Singh Nijjar (11 October 1977 – 18 June 2023) was a Canadian Sikh involved with the Khalistan movement, which calls for an independent Sikh state.[3][4]
Born in India, Nijjar migrated to Canada in the mid-1990s.[5] Sikh organizations viewed Nijjar as a human rights activist, while the Indian government accused him of being a criminal and terrorist affiliated with the militant Khalistan Tiger Force, and sought his arrest.[6][7][4] Nijjar and his supporters rejected these allegations, saying he advocated peaceful means for creation of Khalistan.[4] In 2016, Nijjar was placed on Canada's No Fly List and had his personal back accounts frozen following allegations of his involvement in "terror training camps".[8] Nijjar gained prominence in 2019, when he became the leader of Guru Nanak Sikh Gurudwara in Surrey, British Columbia, and became an advocate of Sikh separatism.[9] Nijjar was also associated with Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), and spearheaded the group's Khalistan Referendum 2020 campaign.[4]
On 18 June 2023, Nijjar was shot and killed in the parking lot of a Sikh temple (Gurdwara) in British Columbia.[10][11] On 18 September 2023, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stated that Canadian intelligence agencies were "pursuing credible allegations of a potential link" between Indian government agents and the assassination of Nijjar.[12] After the killing, Canada expelled an Indian diplomat from the country. India's foreign ministry denied involvement in the killing, and expelled a top Canadian diplomat as a retaliatory measure.[13][14][15]
In May 2024, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) arrested three Indian nationals, who were charged with killing Nijjar.[16][17] The Canadian investigations are ongoing, including into possible connections between the killing and the Indian government.[17][18]
It wants an independent Sikh state carved out of India
Singh 2023
was invoked but never defined (see the help page).PathiCohen
was invoked but never defined (see the help page).The government said he led a terrorist organization banned in India, Khalistan Tiger Force.
Indian Express
was invoked but never defined (see the help page).The New York Times
was invoked but never defined (see the help page).HT1
was invoked but never defined (see the help page).IE4May
was invoked but never defined (see the help page).© MMXXIII Rich X Search. We shall prevail. All rights reserved. Rich X Search