Screengrab of Gurpatwant Singh Pannun's appearance on CBC with an inset image showing Justin Trudeau
Credit: X/@Sputnik_India and Reuters Photos
Khalistani separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun appeared on Canadian broadcaster CBC News, claiming that he has been in communication with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's office for the last 2-3 years.
Pannun's organisation Sikhs For Justice is banned in India for promoting Khalistani terrorist activities, and the Modi government has also come under fire after an alleged failed assassination plot on the designated terrorist on US soil.
"(Canadian Prime Minister Justin) Trudeau's statement shows Canada's unwavering commitment to justice, rule of law, and national security. And Sikhs for Justice has been communicating with the Prime Minister's Office for the last 2-3 years, detailing all the spy network," he said.
Pannun further said that his organisation informed the Canadian PMO of "how Indian High Commissioner Sanjay Verma, his second-in-command as well as the official before him laid out spy networks which gave logistics and intelligence support to Indian agents who assassinated Hardeep Singh Nijjar."
Canada has accused India of having a role in the assassination, which has led to worsening relations between the two nations -- with a new low coming on October 14, when India recalled Verma and some other diplomats. India expelled six Canadian diplomats as well, after Canada named Verma and other diplomats as 'persons of interest' in the probe into Nijjar's murder.
Pannun's statements are similar to what the Royal Canadian Mounted Police has said, claiming to have identified "links tying agents of the Indian government to homicides and violent acts in Canada."
While India has sought concrete evidence in the matter, the Trudeau government has thus far provided none.
Pannun, in the CBC interview, further said, "These Indo-Canadians, who have family ties back home in India, are they loyal to the Canadian Constitution or they still want to show their commitment to the Indian Constitution? Because since the assassination of Hardeep Nijjar, I have not seen any Indo-Canadian organisation which is supporting the Modi regime, coming out in open. This includes some of the Indo-Canadian MPs who have not supported Prime Minister Trudeau since September 18 (2023) when he came out openly."