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India’s government is warning its citizens in Canada on Wednesday to "exercise utmost caution" as tensions escalate between the two countries after the murder of a Sikh activist on Canadian soil in June.
The declaration comes after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Monday that Canadian intelligence agencies are investigating allegations that the government of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi may have played a role in the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was gunned down outside a Sikh cultural center in Surrey, British Columbia, on June 18.
"In view of growing anti-India activities and politically-condoned hate crimes and criminal violence in Canada, all Indian nationals there and those contemplating travel are urged to exercise utmost caution," the India Ministry of External Affairs said Wednesday in a statement.
"Recently, threats have particularly targeted Indian diplomats and sections of the Indian community who oppose the anti-India agenda," the statement continued without elaborating.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, left, takes part in a bilateral meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the G-20 Summit in New Delhi on Sept. 10, 2023. (Sean Kilpatrick / The Canadian Press via AP)
"Given the deteriorating security environment in Canada, Indian students in particular are advised to exercise extreme caution and remain vigilant," it also said.
Nijjar was a strong supporter of an independent Sikh homeland known as Khalistan. The movement is banned in India as officials see it as a national security threat. But the movement still has some support in countries like Canada and the United Kingdom, where sizable Sikh communities live.
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A sign is shown outside the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara temple in Surrey, British Columbia, after the killing of Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar there in June 2023. (Reuters / Chris Helgren)
Trudeau told parliament Monday he’d discussed the matter with Modi at the G-20 Summit last week. He said he told Modi that any involvement would be unacceptable and that he asked for cooperation in the investigation.
"Any involvement of a foreign government in the killing of a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil is an unacceptable violation of our sovereignty," Trudeau said.
India responded Monday by saying allegations of its "involvement in any act of violence in Canada are absurd and motivated."
"Any involvement of a foreign government in the killing of a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil is an unacceptable violation of our sovereignty," Trudeau said. (Christinne Muschi / The Canadian Press via AP)
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"We are a democratic polity with a strong commitment to rule of law," its Ministry of External Affairs added. "Such unsubstantiated allegations seek to shift the focus from Khalistani terrorists and extremists, who have been provided shelter in Canada and continue to threaten India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity."
Fox News’ Bradford Betz and the Associated Press contributed to this report.