Who was Hardeep Singh Nijjar? All about the Khalistan 'terrorist' mentioned by Trudeau in Canadian Parliament

The diplomatic relationship between India and Canada has reached its nadir. The murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a pro-Khalistan leader, in June is said to be the reason behind the current standoff between the two countries. Nijjar was killed by unidentified assailants outside a gurudwara in a parking area in Canada's Surrey.

But who exactly is Nijjar?

Nijjar, who hailed from the Bharsinghpur village in Jalandhar, Punjab, was one of the most wanted terrorists in India. He, reportedly a key functionary in the Khalistani network across the world, was declared an “individual terrorist” in India under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) in July 2020.

Initial years

Nijjar moved from Punjab to Canada in 1997 and worked as a plumber. He was married and had two sons, after settling down in Surrey, in the British Columbia province of Canada.  

As per a statement from the World Sikh Organization, Nijjar was a supporter of the creation of a separate Sikh homeland, known as Khalistan, and was associated with several Khalistani outfits in Canada, like the Babbar Khalsa International (BKI), and later became the head of Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF). He was the president of the Surrey Gurdwara body since 2020.  

According to reports, Nijjar was involved in installing the Khalistani flag at the Indian Embassy in Vancouver.

Network and support

According to the Indian government, Nijjar was involved in running and operating the KTF organisation, which included the training and financing of its members. Reports suggest that Nijjar travelled to Pakistan to meet KTF leader Jagtar Singh Tara and handlers in the Pakistani spy agency Inter-Services Intelligence sometime in 2013-14 to gather support.

Nijjar was also said to be close to Dal Khalsa leader Gajinder Singh, who was one of the prime accused in the hijacking case of an Indian Airlines flight in 1981. Singh is currently in Pakistan.

Nijjar was known to have organised several demonstrations outside Indian missions in the US, the UK, Germany, Canada, Australia, etc. under the banner of the banned outfit, Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), along with other pro-Khalistan leaders such as Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, Paramjit Singh Pamma, and Avtar Singh Khanda, who died in the UK in June this year.

Wanted in a number of cases

Nijjar was accused of being involved in multiple cases of targeted killings in Punjab and funding secessionist activities in the region. According to the Indian government, Nijjar was wanted by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on terror charges and anti-India activities.  

NIA reportedly filed a chargesheet in December 2020, where it said SFJ was floated under the garb of a human rights advocacy group with offices in countries such as the US, Canada, the UK, Australia, etc. NIA named SFJ as a frontal organisation of Khalistani terrorist outfits operating from foreign soil, including Pakistan.

In December 2020, NIA named him in an FIR when farmers were protesting against the three farm laws in Delhi NCR.  

Nijjar, along with Gurpatwant Singh Pannun and Paramjit Singh Pamma, were accused of conspiring to create an atmosphere of fear and lawlessness in India, causing disaffection among people, and inciting them to rise in rebellion against the Government of India.

In 2022, NIA declared a Rs 10 lakh reward on Nijjar after he was accused of conspiring to kill a Hindu priest in Jalandhar.

Strained relations

During the G20 Summit, PM Narendra Modi reportedly raised issues with Canadian PM Justin Trudeau and conveyed his concerns over protests in Canada against India, particularly those associated with Khalistan, Sikh separatist sentiments.

In June 2023, External Affairs minister S. Jaishankar, criticised Canada for permitting a float in a parade that depicted the 1984 assassination of former PM Indira Gandhi by her bodyguards. It was seen glorifying violence by Sikh separatists.

Canada expels Indian diplomat

On September 18, Canadian PM Trudeau alleged that there could be a link between agents of the Indian government and Nijjar's killing. He said that the country's security agencies were investigating a link between the Indian government and the killing of the Khalistani terrorist.

"Canada has declared its deep concerns to the top intelligence security officials of the Indian government. Last week, at the G20, I brought them personally and directly to Prime Minister Modi in no uncertain terms," the Canadian Prime Minister said.

"In the strongest possible terms, I continue to urge the government of India to cooperate with Canada to get to the bottom of this matter," he said.

Following this, Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly said the head of Indian intelligence in Canada has been expelled.

"If proven true, this would be a great violation of our sovereignty and of the most basic rule of how countries deal with each other," Joly said. "As a consequence, we have expelled a top Indian diplomat," Joly said, as quoted by AP.

India's reply

Refuting charges, India on Tuesday (September 19) rejected the Canadian government's allegation and termed the charges as "absurd and motivated". India said it has a strong commitment to the rule of law.

"We have seen and rejected the statement of the Canadian Prime Minister in their Parliament, as also the statement by their Foreign Minister. Allegations of the Government of India's involvement in any act of violence in Canada are absurd and motivated," a statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) stated.

Trade talks at stake

These developments come at a time after India-Canada trade talks entered a rough phase. On Saturday, Canada canceled a trade mission to India that was planned for the fall.  

India and Canada have had been key trade partners. In 2022-23, India exported merchandise worth $4.11 billion to Canada and imported goods, such as coal, fertiliser, pulses, pulp and aluminium worth $4.17 billion, according to official data.

India’s exports to Canada fell year-on-year by over 20 per cent to $1.24 billion in the first four months of current financial year (FY24). Imports also contracted by 6.39 per cent in the same period at $1.32 billion, according to official data.

According to government data, Canadian Pension Funds have cumulatively invested over $55 billion in India and are increasingly viewing India as a favourable destination for investments.  

The top sectors for pension fund investment in India, include infrastructure, renewable energy, technology, and financial services. The fund has fund infusions in companies such as big tech companies Wipro and Infosys, to top tier banks, ICICI Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank, to new-age companies, such as Paytm, Zomato, Nykaa, Delhivery.

More than 600 Canadian companies have a presence in India and more than 1,000 companies are actively pursuing business in the Indian market.

(With agency inputs)

Also read: India-Canada tensions: Senior Canadian diplomat expelled from New Delhi, given 5 days to leave

Also read: 'Absurd and motivated': Indian govt rejects Trudeau's allegation; says they seek to shift focus away from Khalistanis

Also read: Canada PM Justin Trudeau accuses Indian govt of involvement in killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar