Canada Removes Anti-India Posters

New Delhi, Washington: Facing allegations of permitting and encouraging anti-India elements that threaten Indian diplomats without consequences, Canadian agencies have taken down posters and billboards advocating the killing of three Indian diplomats in Surrey.

The posters were displayed at a Gurdwara in Surrey but had to be removed after local authorities intervened. It has been revealed that Surrey Gurdwara was requested to eliminate these posters endorsing violence against Indian diplomats due to the severe implications and the negative image they projected when originating from Canadian territory. Furthermore, the Gurdwara has been advised not to use loudspeakers for radical announcements.

India has consistently raised concerns with Canada regarding unchecked anti-India activities, which encompass attacks on Hindus or Indians who do not support the Khalistan movement, assaults on Indian temples and missions. The Sikh for Justice, a radical group, has threatened Indian diplomats, accusing them of orchestrating the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, the chief of the banned Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF), in the parking area of the Surrey Gurdwara in British Columbia on June 18.

This marks Canada's first action amid deteriorating relations with India over allegations of New Delhi's involvement in Nijjar's murder. India has emphasised its expectation that the host country adheres to the Vienna Convention and ensures the security of its diplomats.

Meanwhile, ‘The New York Times’ reported that the United States was unaware of the plot to kill Hardeep Singh Nijjar or any evidence linking India to it until Nijjar was killed by two individuals. The report indicated that the US shared intelligence with Canada only after Nijjar's death, but intercepted communications by Ottawa were more conclusive and led to accusations against India for masterminding the plot.

On Saturday, the top US diplomat in Canada confirmed the existence of "shared intelligence among Five Eyes partners" that prompted Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's accusatory statement against India in the killing of a Khalistani extremist on Canadian soil.

These allegations have provoked a strong reaction from India, which has dismissed them as "absurd" and "motivated." India responded by expelling a senior Canadian diplomat in a reciprocal action to Ottawa's expulsion of an Indian official over the case. India also accused Canada of providing refuge to terrorists.

‘The New York Times’ reported that what appears to be the "smoking gun" — intercepted communications of Indian diplomats in Canada indicating involvement in the plot — was collected by Canadian officials, according to unnamed allied officials.

After Nijjar's death, American officials informed their Canadian counterparts that they had no prior information about the plot and that they would have immediately notified Ottawa if they had, in accordance with the intelligence agencies' "duty to warn" doctrine.

Witnesses, as per another NYT report, described the gunmen who killed Nijjar as dressed in black with hoods and black medical masks covering their faces. One of them dropped a blue medical glove, which was later recovered by the police. They fired between 30 to 50 shots at their victim.

In India, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has initiated the confiscation of properties belonging to "designated individual terrorists" residing in Canada, such as Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. The government has instructed investigative agencies to identify the properties of other terrorists residing abroad, with the intention of confiscating their assets and cancelling their Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) to prevent them from entering India.

The agencies are closely monitoring individuals such as Paramjit Singh Pamma in the UK, Wadhwa Singh Babbar (aka Chacha) in Pakistan, Kulwant Singh Muthda in the UK, J.S. Dhaliwal in the US, Sukhpak Singh in the UK, Harriet Singh (aka Rana Sungh) in the US, Sarabjit Singh Benoor in the UK, Kulwant Singh (aka Kanta) in the UK, Harjap Singh (aka Jappi Dingh) in the US, Ranjit Singh Neeta in Pakistan, Gurmeet Singh (aka Bagga), Gurpreet Singh (aka Baaghi) in the UK, Jasmin Singh Hakimzada in the UAE, Gurjant Singh Dhillon in Australia, Jasbit Singh Rode in Europe and Canada, Amardeep Singh Purewal in the US, Jatinder Singh Grewal in Canada, Dupinder Jeet in the UK, and S Himmat Singh in the US.