From Australia To US: The India-Canada Dispute Draws Global Responses

Tensions escalated between India and Canada after PM Justin Trudeau said that Canada was investigating "credible allegations" about the potential involvement of Indian government agents in the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia in June.

Nijjar was shot dead outside a Sikh temple on June 18 in Surrey, a Vancouver suburb with a considerable Sikh population. He advocated for an independent Khalistani state as a homeland for Sikhs and was officially labeled as a "terrorist" by India in July 2020.

India outrightly rejected these claims, calling them "absurd" and "motivated”. Following this both the countries expelled each other's diplomats.

Britain responded to the situation by saying that they were in close touch with their Canadian partners about "serious allegations" against India. "It would be inappropriate to comment further during the ongoing investigation by the Canadian authorities," the spokesperson said.

US White House National Security Council spokesperson, Adrienne Watson, said in a brief statement, “It is critical that Canada’s investigation proceed and the perpetrators be brought to justice."

A spokesperson for Australia’s foreign minister Penny Wong said that Canberra’s concerns have been conveyed to New Delhi at “senior levels". The official statement read, “Australia is deeply concerned by these allegations and notes ongoing investigations into this matter."