India, Canada should adopt agenda of serious dialogue instead of accusations: SGPC Chief Dhami

Amritsar: Shiromani Gurudwara Parbhandak Committee (SGPC) on Tuesday expressed concern about the recent developments related to the ‘souring’ relation between India and Canada after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s allegations against the Indian government.

SGPC President Harjinder Singh Dhami said that both countries should bring the matters on the agenda of serious consideration as the people of the community are large in number in Canada.

“Today, the Sikhs are living across the globe, whose human rights as well as religious concerns are also important. The Sikh community has gone through many painful times, including the June 1984 military attack on Sachkhand Sri Harmandir Sahib and Akal Takht Sahib, the 1984 Sikh Genocide and the extra-judicial killings of Sikh youths of a decade. The Sikh community living across the globe can never forget this pain,” he said in a statement.

He further said that even today, the Sikhs living in many countries have been deprived of coming to their homeland and of paying obeisance at the sacred shrines of their Gurus (religious masters).

Dhami also said that in the murder case of Canada-based Sikh Hardeep Singh Nijjar, the expelling of a diplomatic officer of India by the Canadian government after allegations were levelled against him raises many questions.
“As a reaction to this, even though India rejected the allegations and expelled a Canadian diplomatic officer, this matter is very serious and directly related to the Sikhs which is going to affect the community members at the global level,” he added.

Dhami further appealed to the Government of India to simplify the issues of Sikhs in India and move towards an appropriate and meaningful solution by understanding the problems and feelings of the Sikh community living abroad.
“Seeing the existence of Sikhs in the whole world today, both Canada and India need to join hands so that the truth can come out in case of accusations and the relations between the two countries also remain good,” he added.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made the allegations against the Indian government on Monday (September 18) of being behind the fatal shooting of Khalistan Tiger Force chief Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada.

Nijjar, who was wanted in India, was gunned down outside a Gurdwara, in a parking area in Canada's Surrey, British Columbia on June 18.
However, India rejected the allegations by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau earlier today, regarding the Indian government’s involvement in the fatal shooting of Khalistan Tiger Force chief Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada. In a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) termed the allegations ‘absurd ‘and ‘motivated’.
“We have seen and rejected the statement of the Canadian Prime Minister in their Parliament, as also the statement by their Foreign Minister,” said the MEA in an official statement.
“Allegations of the Indian government’s “involvement in any act of violence in Canada are absurd and motivated” the release added.