Canada Sikh Leaders Condemn India's 'Whitewash' in Nijjar Killing Report, Demand Independent Probe

By Senior Editor | March 2, 2026 | 07:15 EST

VANCOUVER—In a fiery press conference yesterday, the British Columbia Sikh Coalition (BCSC) denounced India’s newly released judicial report on the 2023 killing of Khalistani activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar as a "state-sanctioned cover-up," escalating tensions between Canadian Sikh groups and New Delhi. The Coalition—representing over 200 gurdwaras nationwide—released a 12-page counter-analysis within hours of India’s document surfacing, alleging "systematic evidence destruction" and "ignoring critical CCTV footage" placing Indian intelligence operatives near Nijjar’s Surrey home days before his death.

"This isn’t an investigation—it’s a propaganda exercise," BCSC President Rajwant Singh declared before 5,000 supporters at Vancouver’s Guru Nanak Shrine. "Indian authorities deleted surveillance data from 17 key intersections within *24 hours* of the shooting. How can we trust conclusions from a report built on erased facts?" He cited internal emails (leaked to The Vancouver Sun yesterday) showing India’s Ministry of Home Affairs instructed local police to "cease digital evidence collection" on June 19, 2023—one day after Nijjar was shot.

The Coalition’s claims gain weight amid rare bipartisan Canadian political backing. Liberal MP Aman Singh (Surrey Centre) confirmed to this outlet he’s circulating a petition with 32 cross-party signatures demanding External Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly push for an "UN-mandated international inquiry." Meanwhile, Conservative MP Garnett Genuis called India’s refusal to share raw forensic data "deeply concerning," telling reporters: "When a sovereign nation investigates itself for alleged extrajudicial killing on foreign soil, transparency isn’t optional—it’s non-negotiable."

India’s High Commission in Ottawa fired back overnight, calling the BCSC’s accusations "baseless theater" and reiterating Nijjar was a "designated terrorist" per UNSC resolutions. But fresh diplomatic cables obtained by Al Jazeera (March 1) reveal Ottawa quietly requested India’s full evidence dossier 11 times—a request still unfulfilled as of Friday. With Canada’s Integrated National Security Assessment Centre (INSC) now reviewing the report for "jurisdictional anomalies," sources confirm RCMP is preparing to formally interview Indian officials under Canadian law if cooperation stalls.

This clash arrives as Canada-India relations hover near breaking point. Just last week, India suspended visa processing for Canadian citizens—a direct retaliation for Ottawa’s December 2025 referral of Nijjar’s case to the International Court of Justice. As Sikh advocacy groups mobilize nationwide protests this week, one truth crystallizes: for Canada’s 770,000 Sikhs, this report isn’t closing a file—it’s igniting a new front in the fight for accountability.