Al Jazeera English has released a groundbreaking documentary unveiling irrefutable evidence of India’s involvement in the assassination of pro-Khalistan Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
The documentary directly implicates Indian Home Minister Amit Shah, intelligence agency RAW officials, and its chief, Samant Goel, in orchestrating Nijjar’s killing.
The exposé details how Nijjar’s assassination in June 2023 sent shockwaves across global diplomatic circles, severely straining relations between India, Canada, and the United States.
According to the documentary, Nijjar, a vocal advocate for Sikh independence, was targeted for his activism, particularly his leadership in the Khalistan movement.
Born in Punjab in 1977, Nijjar grew up in an environment where the demand for a sovereign Sikh state was deeply ingrained. The Khalistan movement gained momentum in the 1980s, especially after the infamous 1984 Operation Blue Star, in which thousands of Sikhs were killed following an Indian military assault on the Golden Temple.
Fleeing persecution in 1997, Nijjar relocated to Canada, where he continued his advocacy, co-founding "Sikhs for Justice" in 2007. In 2013, he petitioned the UN to recognize the 1984 Sikh massacre as genocide—an appeal dismissed by the Indian government, which termed it “riots.” Unfazed, Nijjar spearheaded the Khalistan Referendum campaign, garnering widespread support among the Sikh diaspora.
By 2014, India had labeled Nijjar a terrorist and issued arrest warrants against him. In June 2023, he was assassinated in Canada, a move Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau directly blamed on the Indian government. The revelation ignited a diplomatic standoff, leading to the expulsion of diplomats from both countries in October 2024.
Adding to the controversy, Al Jazeera’s documentary also highlights a failed assassination plot against Khalistan leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in the U.S., with Indian intelligence agents linked to the attempt. The U.S. authorities have since arrested individuals involved, with a New York court summoning India’s National Security Advisor Ajit Doval in the case.
Despite ongoing investigations and international scrutiny, Nijjar’s murder remains a stark reminder of India’s alleged transnational repression against pro-Khalistan activists, intensifying fears within the Sikh diaspora.
