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Australia weighs in on Canada-India diplomatic spat over Sikh leader's killing

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau suggests "credible allegations" of Indian government involvement in the shooting death of Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a vocal advocate for Khalistani statehood in the Punjab region.

AP

Khalistan flags are seen outside the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara Sahib in Surrey, British Columbia, where temple president Hardeep Singh Nijjar was gunned down in his vehicle while leaving the temple parking lot in June. / Photo: AP

Australia has jumped into the diplomatic fray between Canada and India over the assassination of a Sikh separatist leader in the Canadian westernmost province of British Colombia, expressing its deep concern over alleged New Delhi involvement through its intelligence agency network.

Australia is "deeply concerned" by allegations that the Indian government was behind the murder, local broadcaster Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) reported on Tuesday, citing a Foreign Ministry spokesperson.

Canberra has raised these concerns at "senior levels," the spokesperson added.

Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar was shot dead on June 18 in Surrey, British Columbia, in front of a Sikh temple.

So far, no arrests have been made.

However, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Monday that there are "credible allegations" that the Indian government was behind Nijjar's shooting death.

Nijjar was a vocal supporter of independence for a Khalistani state in the Punjab region. The Indian government has repeatedly insisted that Nijjar was a terrorist – a label his supporters denied – and at the recent G-20 summit in New Delhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi chided Trudeau for allowing Sikh separatist protests in Canada.

Earlier on Monday, Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly said a "top Indian diplomat" has been expelled from the country and expects India's full collaboration "to get to the bottom of this."

Sikh separatist leader's murder in Canada: What we know so far

India'a tit-for-tat move

However, New Delhi has dismissed the allegation as "absurd," and has demanded that Ottawa take "prompt and effective legal action against all anti-India elements operating on their soil."

Later on Tuesday, in a tit-for-tat move, India ordered a senior Canadian diplomat in New Delhi to leave the country within five days.

Australian and Canadian authorities share intelligence via the Five Eyes agreement, though the Australian government declined to reveal whether it was aware of Ottawa's suspicions when Prime Minister Anthony Albanese travelled for the G-20 summit earlier this month.

“Australia believes all countries should respect sovereignty and the rule of law," Wong told SBS, noting investigations are ongoing.

"We are closely engaged with partners on developments. We have conveyed our concerns at senior levels to India," the spokesperson added.

Meanwhile, in response to the statement of foreign minister's spokesperson that Canberra raised concerns with India, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said, "Seriously, you should chill out a bit."

He also refused to speak about intelligence sharing via Five Eyes, saying, "We don't speculate on what the intelligence is."

"I don't talk about Five Eyes intelligence at a press conference, funnily enough, that's why it's called intelligence because we don't speculate on what the intelligence is. So, I don't intend to talk about Five Eyes intelligence here or anywhere else," he said.