Who is Hardeep Singh Nijjar? How his assassination sparked India-Canda crisis

During a press conference, Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Commissioner, Mike Duheme claimed that agents of the Indian government are involved in violent criminal activities in Canada and identified Indian diplomats as "persons of interest" in the investigation into Nijjar's murder.

India confuted the statement of the allegations, in response and connected them to Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau's political agenda.

India also evicted its top six Canadian diplomats and called back its envoys, including Canada’s Charge d’Affaires, Stewart Wheeler.

Following that Canada also evicted Indian diplomats, by claiming that they were involved in a "campaign of Violence" by the Indian government.

The recent tensions stem from the ongoing standoff over Nijjar's murder, which occurred in June 2023.

In September of the previous year, Prime Minister Trudeau first publicly accused India of involvement in the incident, a claim that New Delhi strongly denied.

Hardeep Singh Nijjar was a supporter of Khalistani moment and was shot dead on June 18, 2023, in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada. He was linked with the Sikhs for Justice, banned separatist group leader, Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. India labeled claims of Canada as 'absurd' and 'motivated,' which led to the worsening diplomatic relations between both countries.

Nijjar and Pannun, both have been labeled as terrorists by India.

Nijjar, a Canadian resident, was the leader of the 'Khalistan Tiger Force' (KTF), which India labeled as a militant group, seeking to revive terrorism in Punjab.
Before his involvement with the KTF, he was an operative of Babbar Khalsa International (BKI). He also faced allegations of operating an arms training camp in British Columbia and was accused of several killings in India.

Hardeep Singh Nijjar was born in Jalandhar, Punjab. He moved to Canada in 1977, where he started to work as a plumber. After settling in British Columbia, he became a vocal proponent of the Khalistan movement, which sought a homeland for Sikha to be carved out of Punjab.

Nijjar obtained Canadian citizenship in 2007, the same year a cinema bombing in Punjab killed six people and injured dozens. The Indian government held Nijjar responsible for the attack.

Although India had raised concerns with Canada regarding Nijjar, he was never formally charged with any crime. In June 2024, a year after his assassination, Canada's House of Commons held a 'moment of silence' in his memory.