Special Correspondent: The World Sikh Organization of Canada (WSO) has strongly condemned fresh revelations in a Canadian newspaper stating that Indian consular officials in Vancouver were linked to the 2023 assassination of prominent Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, calling it a “grave attack on Canadian sovereignty and the safety of Sikh Canadians.”

According to Kashmir Media Service, a report published in The Globe and Mail citing law enforcement and national security sources said, Indian consular staff supplied information that assisted in Nijjar’s killing. The report mentioned that a visa officer at the Indian consulate in Vancouver, believed to have links with India’s external intelligence agency RAW, gathered intelligence on Nijjar, which was subsequently passed on to operatives connected to the Bishnoi gang. The gang is accused of facilitating the fatal shooting of Nijjar outside a Sikh gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia, in June 2023.

Reacting sharply, the WSO expressed deep alarm and urged Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney to ensure that the ongoing investigation goes beyond the gunmen and identifies those who directed and orchestrated the killing, including any officials in the Government of India. The group said recent statements by Canadian authorities suggesting that “India was no longer involved in violent activities in Canada” did not reflect the ground reality faced by Sikh activists, some of whom reportedly continue to receive threats.

The issue has resurfaced at a sensitive time, coinciding with Prime Minister Carney’s visit to India aimed at boosting bilateral trade and strategic cooperation. Sikh advocacy groups criticized the visit, accusing Ottawa of sidelining human rights concerns in favour of economic interests. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) had earlier stated that it was investigating the involvement of agents of the Government of India in serious criminal activities in Canada, including extortion and homicide plots, and cited multiple credible threats against pro-Khalistan activists.