In the midst of a diplomatic row between India and Canada over the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a photograph depicting Nijjar as a member of the Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) has surfaced, causing a viral sensation.
Supporters of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Sikh separatist leader, have explicitly described him as a member of the Khalistan Tiger Force in a photograph prominently displayed at a Gurdwara in Canada. The emergence of this photograph has ignited a firestorm of controversy, with numerous social media commentators, including Canadian journalist Daniel Bordman, underscoring that Nijjar’s supporters openly acknowledging his association with the KTF prompted the Canadian government to engage in a diplomatic standoff with India.
The Khalistan Tiger Force, as per Wikipedia, is designated as a “militant faction of the Khalistani movement” and is classified as a terrorist organization in India, further intensifying the implications of this revelation.
Hardeep Singh Nijjar met a tragic end outside a Gurudwara where he served as the head. Canada’s Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, publicly accused India of involvement in his killing, plunging the two nations into a diplomatic crisis. As the diplomatic fallout continued to unravel, India suspended its visa services in Canada and called for the recall of 41 Canadian diplomats stationed in India.
Justin Trudeau has expressed a desire to de-escalate the situation and work collaboratively with New Delhi, while Canada’s Foreign Minister, Melanie Joly, has confirmed that private discussions with India are ongoing.
Concerning the matter of Hardeep Singh Nijjar’s killing, India firmly conveyed to Canada that such targeted assassinations do not align with India’s policies, urging Canada to share any specific intelligence it possesses. India, however, alerted Canada not only to Nijjar but also to the presence of several Khalistani leaders taking refuge within its borders. India emphasized that Nijjar was not a religious preacher but a fugitive with a history of criminality.
Hardeep Singh Nijjar had eluded Indian authorities since 1997, employing a false passport and a fictitious identity – Ravi Sharma. He was named among the most-wanted fugitives in 2018, a list handed over to Justin Trudeau by the then Chief Minister of Punjab, Amarinder Singh. In 2019, he assumed the unopposed leadership of the Surret Gurdwara. Indian intelligence reports indicated that he had attained this position by coercing his cousin and former leader, Raghbir Singh Nijjar.
The emergence of this photograph, unequivocally linking Hardeep Singh Nijjar to the Khalistan Tiger Force, has added an intricate layer to the ongoing diplomatic tension between India and Canada.
