Trudeau rakes up Nijjar issue during hearing on foreign interference in Canadian polls

Ottawa: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has raised the issue of the killing of a Khalistani Sikh separatist on the country's soil last year and asserted that his government stood up to defend the rights and freedoms of all Canadians.

Trudeau, who was testifying at a high-profile public inquiry looking into foreign interference in Canada’s electoral process on Wednesday, also alleged that the previous government was "cosy" with the Indian government.

He made these remarks when he was asked about what his government did after receiving intelligence information on foreign information during the 2019 and 2021 elections, according to the live-streaming videos being shared by local media.

The ties between India and Canada were strained last year after Trudeau's allegations in September of a “potential” involvement of Indian agents in Hardeep Singh Nijjar’s killing outside a gurdwara in Surrey city on June 18 last year.

India, which had designated Nijjar as a terrorist in 2020, has strongly rejected Trudeau's allegations as “absurd” and “motivated.”

During his testimony, Trudeau spoke about the role of the National Security and Intelligence Advisor, the manner in which he received intelligence inputs and how he acted on it, including what was done about the inputs regarding the role of Chinese influence vis-a-vis Chinese Canadians.

Speaking about an intelligence report three months after the 2019 election, Trudeau said, “The principle that anyone who comes to Canada from anywhere in the world has all the rights of a Canadian to be free from extortion, coercion, interference from a country that they left behind.”

... and how we have stood up for Canadians, including in the very serious case that I brought forward to Parliament of the killing of Nijjar, demonstrates our government's commitment to defending the rights and freedoms of Canadians for which so many people crossed oceans and continents,” he said.

And then he sought to downplay that his government did not do anything about foreign influence as he said, “And the suggestion that we haven't and we won't do everything we can to defend Canadian rules and values and defend Canadians from foreign interference is simply misplaced.”

Trudeau briefed the inquiry committee about the steps his government had taken to address foreign interference.

“I think that's certainly a question one needs to ask of the previous Conservative government that was known for its very cosy relationship with the current Indian government," Trudeau said.

At the same time, Trudeau said his government has "always stood up to defend minorities in Canada and the rights of minorities to speak out, even if it irritates their home countries overseas."

The Canadian prime minister was the final witness – the testimony lasted for almost two hours –in the first phase of the foreign-interference inquiry Commission, which is headed by Quebec judge Marie-Josee Hogue.

The inquiry was set up last September after concerted pressure from the main opposition parties as well as media stories outlining a sophisticated China operation to influence the 2019 and 2021 elections.

The Liberal Party, led by Prime Minister Trudeau, won in both elections.