Who was Hardeep Singh Nijjar, the KhalistanI ‘terrorist’ whose murder has created a diplomatic rift between India and Canada?

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Nijjar murder row: Canadian
Diplomat Expelled

Amid the rising tensions with Canada over the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Khalistani ‘terrorist’, the Indian government on Tuesday expelled senior Canadian diplomat Olivier Sylvester, who heads the Canadian Intelligence agency in India. The move came as a retaliation after Canada expelled an Indian diplomat on Monday [{ "selector": ".xnjkx-a", "duration": "500ms", "fill": "forwards", "delay": "0ms", "keyframes": [ {"offset": 0, "transform": "translateY(calc(600px - 369px))", "opacity": "1"}, {"offset": 1, "transform": "translateY(0)", "opacity": "1"} ] }, { "selector": ".gzwzc-a", "duration": "1000ms", "fill": "forwards", "delay": "0ms", "keyframes": [ {"offset": 0, "opacity": 0}, {"offset": 1, "opacity": "1"} ] }]

Canada’s allegations on
India over Nijjar’s murder

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Monday alleged that Indian agents were involved in the death of 46-year-old Khalistan separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Trudeau said in his country’s Parliament that he discussed the issue with PM Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in New Delhi [{ "selector": ".eonos-a", "duration": "500ms", "fill": "forwards", "delay": "0ms", "keyframes": [ {"offset": 0, "transform": "translateY(calc(600px - 379px))", "opacity": "1"}, {"offset": 1, "transform": "translateY(0)", "opacity": "1"} ] }, { "selector": ".jdwqu-a", "duration": "1000ms", "fill": "forwards", "delay": "0ms", "keyframes": [ {"offset": 0, "opacity": 0}, {"offset": 1, "opacity": "1"} ] }]

Violation of our sovereignty: Canada PM Trudeau

Trudeau said that the agencies of Canada have been investigating credible allegations of a potential link between Indian government agents and the killing of Nijjar, a Canadian citizen. “Any involvement of a foreign government in the killing of a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil is an unacceptable violation of our sovereignty,” Trudeau further said [{ "selector": ".urxzf-a", "duration": "500ms", "fill": "forwards", "delay": "0ms", "keyframes": [ {"offset": 0, "transform": "translateY(calc(600px - 369px))", "opacity": "1"}, {"offset": 1, "transform": "translateY(0)", "opacity": "1"} ] }, { "selector": ".kxulm-a", "duration": "1000ms", "fill": "forwards", "delay": "0ms", "keyframes": [ {"offset": 0, "opacity": 0}, {"offset": 1, "opacity": "1"} ] }]

India denies Canada’s
allegation on Nijjar’s murder

The Ministry of External Affairs on Tuesday rejected the statement made by Trudeau and his foreign minister. MEA said in a statement, “Allegations of Government of India’s involvement in any act of violence in Canada are absurd and motivated.” The ministry also said that such allegations were made by Trudeau during the talks with PM Modi as well and they were completely rejected [{ "selector": ".kgrcb-a", "duration": "500ms", "fill": "forwards", "delay": "0ms", "keyframes": [ {"offset": 0, "transform": "translateY(calc(600px - 338px))", "opacity": "1"}, {"offset": 1, "transform": "translateY(0)", "opacity": "1"} ] }, { "selector": ".bgfrs-a", "duration": "1000ms", "fill": "forwards", "delay": "0ms", "keyframes": [ {"offset": 0, "opacity": 0}, {"offset": 1, "opacity": "1"} ] }]

Who was Hardeep
Singh Nijjar?

According to the Indian government, Nijjar was the head of Khalistan terrorist group Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF). Nijjar was also the head of Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara Sahib in Surrey, a town in western Canada’s British Columbia [{ "selector": ".aijlt-a", "duration": "500ms", "fill": "forwards", "delay": "0ms", "keyframes": [ {"offset": 0, "transform": "translateY(calc(600px - 418px))", "opacity": "1"}, {"offset": 1, "transform": "translateY(0)", "opacity": "1"} ] }, { "selector": ".mgutb-a", "duration": "1000ms", "fill": "forwards", "delay": "0ms", "keyframes": [ {"offset": 0, "opacity": 0}, {"offset": 1, "opacity": "1"} ] }]

Hardeep Singh Nijjar’s Death

The head of KTF, Hardeep Singh Nijjar was shot dead by two unidentified men on June 18 on the premises of Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara in Surrey [{ "selector": ".figwq-a", "duration": "500ms", "fill": "forwards", "delay": "0ms", "keyframes": [ {"offset": 0, "transform": "translateY(calc(600px - 438px))", "opacity": "1"}, {"offset": 1, "transform": "translateY(0)", "opacity": "1"} ] }, { "selector": ".bqlpe-a", "duration": "1000ms", "fill": "forwards", "delay": "0ms", "keyframes": [ {"offset": 0, "opacity": 0}, {"offset": 1, "opacity": "1"} ] }]

Njjar’s links with other
separatists

Hardeep Singh Nijjar allegedly went to Pakistan in 2013-14 to meet Jagtar Singh Tara, who was involved in the assassination of former Punjab CM Beant Singh in 1995. Tara was given a life sentence but he ran away in 2004. But, he was arrested again in Thailand in 2015 and is currently in an Indian prison [{ "selector": ".rffis-a", "duration": "500ms", "fill": "forwards", "delay": "0ms", "keyframes": [ {"offset": 0, "transform": "translateY(calc(600px - 378px))", "opacity": "1"}, {"offset": 1, "transform": "translateY(0)", "opacity": "1"} ] }, { "selector": ".pktzp-a", "duration": "1000ms", "fill": "forwards", "delay": "0ms", "keyframes": [ {"offset": 0, "opacity": 0}, {"offset": 1, "opacity": "1"} ] }]

Nijjar and hijacker
Gajinder Singh

The chief of KTF Hardeep Singh Nijjar was also friends with Dal Khalsa leader Gajinder Singh, who is currently in Pakistan. Singh was one of the five hijackers of the Indian Airlines flight in 1981. “Hardeep Singh Nijjar was a dedicated Khalistani until the end. He was like a son to me. He met me a few years ago and solidified the bond of love and thoughts. He was a true Khalistani at heart,” Singh said in a statement after Nijjar’s death [{ "selector": ".ftzqf-a", "duration": "500ms", "fill": "forwards", "delay": "0ms", "keyframes": [ {"offset": 0, "transform": "translateY(calc(600px - 338px))", "opacity": "1"}, {"offset": 1, "transform": "translateY(0)", "opacity": "1"} ] }, { "selector": ".azoji-a", "duration": "1000ms", "fill": "forwards", "delay": "0ms", "keyframes": [ {"offset": 0, "opacity": 0}, {"offset": 1, "opacity": "1"} ] }]

Hardeep Singh Nijjar’s background

Hardeep Singh Nijjar hailed from the Bhar Singh Pura village of Phillaur subdivision in Jalandhar district. He moved to Canada in 1997 where he lived in the city of Surrey. Nijjar also got married in Canada and is survived by his wife and two sons [{ "selector": ".qjbxx-a", "duration": "500ms", "fill": "forwards", "delay": "0ms", "keyframes": [ {"offset": 0, "transform": "translateY(calc(600px - 418px))", "opacity": "1"}, {"offset": 1, "transform": "translateY(0)", "opacity": "1"} ] }, { "selector": ".gatmr-a", "duration": "1000ms", "fill": "forwards", "delay": "0ms", "keyframes": [ {"offset": 0, "opacity": 0}, {"offset": 1, "opacity": "1"} ] }]

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Who was Hardeep Singh Nijjar, the KhalistanI ‘terrorist’ whose murder has created a diplomatic rift between India and Canada?

Produced by: Hitansh GaurDesigned by: Manoj Kumar

Nijjar murder row: Canadian Diplomat Expelled

Canada’s allegations on India over Nijjar’s murder

Violation of our sovereignty: Canada PM Trudeau

India denies Canada’s allegation on Nijjar’s murder

Who was Hardeep Singh Nijjar?