New Delhi: In the wake of the killing of Sikh extremist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada this June, agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) reportedly visited a number of Sikhs living in California — identified as “activists” in the report — warning them that their “lives were at risk”.
A report published Saturday in the American investigative news outlet, The Intercept, named Pritpal Singh — identified in the report as a US citizen and coordinator of the American Sikh Caucus Committee, which is on his social media platform X (previously Twitter) handle as well — as among those visited by the FBI.
“I was visited by two FBI special agents in late June who told me that they had received information that there was a threat against my life,” Singh is quoted by The Intercept as saying.
“They did not tell us specifically where the threat was coming from, but they said that I should be careful,” he reportedly added.
The Intercept report also cites two others who declined to be named, but reportedly confirmed they met FBI agents at around the same time.
Singh is also said to have asked for support from the Biden government. However, The Intercept said the FBI did not respond to a request for comment.
India and Canada remained embroiled in a diplomatic row, after Canadian PM Justin Trudeau this week claimed he had “credible intelligence” suggesting a “potential link between agents of the Government of India and the killing of a Canadian citizen, Hardeep Singh Nijjar”.
India has denied the allegation.
Nijjar was wanted by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the Punjab Police in multiple cases. He was also said to have had links with the banned outfit Sikhs for Justice. In 2020, India’s Ministry of Home Affairs had designated him an individual terrorist under the UAPA (Unlawful Activities Prevention Act).
The US has been firm in its response to what it has reportedly termed the breakdown of relations between India and Canada.
“We are deeply concerned about the allegations that Prime Minister Trudeau has raised,” media reports quoted US Secretary of State Antony Blinken as saying Friday at a press briefing in Washington. “It would be important that India work with the Canadians on this investigation. We want to see accountability,” he had added.
Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi stated Thursday that Canada has not shared “any specific information” about the case with New Delhi, but it was willing to examine any information if shared, and this has been communicated to Canada.
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Canada intelligence also warned of threat?
Meanwhile, the American Sikh Caucus Committee Saturday posted a letter to members of the American Sikh Congressional Caucus on X, on the recent developments.
The 19 September letter, which was signed by Pritpal Singh, mentions one of its founding members was informed by federal agents about a “credible threat to his life” on 27 June.
The Intercept report also claims that ahead of Nijjar’s killing, Canadian intelligence officers had warned Moninder Singh, a spokesperson for the British Columbia Gurudwaras Council, and five other Sikh men living in Canada about potential threats to their lives.
US ambassador to Canada David Cohen said Saturday, “Shared intelligence among Five Eyes partners” informed Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s accusation of a possible link between India and Nijjar’s killing.
The Five Eyes is an intelligence alliance consisting of the US, UK, Australia, Canada and New Zealand.
“I will say this was a matter of shared intelligence information. There was a lot of communication between Canada and the United States about this,” Cohen added.
(Edited by Smriti Sinha)
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