British Columbia Premier David Eby “strongly” suspects that the federal government is holding again data that would assist the province shield its residents who’ve connections to India.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau revealed in Parliament on Monday that Canadian intelligence companies have been investigating “a potential link” between the Indian authorities and the deadly taking pictures of Sikh advocate Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey, B.C., final June. Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc has reached out, saying Ottawa needs to ensure the provincial authorities has the main points it must hold B.C. residents protected, “but there has not been good information sharing,” the premier mentioned Friday.

In response to the killing, Eby mentioned on Friday that the precedence must be holding folks criminally accountable for the killing.

Eby mentioned folks in B.C. have been “feeling pressure from India,” and he believes Ottawa has data by way of federal businesses, together with the RCMP and the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, which might assist in the response to overseas interference. The premier has referred to as on Ottawa to “share all relevant information” associated not solely to overseas interference, but in addition to “transnational organized crime threats” within the province.

He made the remarks throughout a media question-and-answer session after addressing native politicians on the Union of BC Municipalities convention.

2:13
Surveillance of Indian diplomats led to Hardeep Singh Nijjar homicide claims: Report

Eby accepted Trudeau’s supply for a briefing by CSIS, however all the pieces the premier is aware of concerning the scenario is “in the public realm,” he mentioned.

“I expressed my frustration in the meeting with the CSIS director about our inability to get more concrete information,” Eby mentioned.

Eby mentioned he understands there could must be reform across the regulation governing CSIS to ensure that the company to share the type of data he’s in search of.

“If that’s what’s required, let’s make it happen because the only way that we’re going to make traction on this is by the federal government trusting the provincial government with information and being able to act on it in our local communities,” he mentioned.

Nijjar was a distinguished supporter of the Khalistan separatism motion that advocates for a Sikh homeland in India’s Punjab province. He had been working to prepare an unofficial referendum among the many Sikh diaspora on independence from India on the time of his killing. India designated Nijjar as a terrorist in 2020, an accusation he had denied.

Canada and India expelled one another’s diplomats within the fallout of Trudeau’s announcement, and India has halted visa companies in Canada. India’s authorities has denied the accusation as “absurd and motivated.”

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Hardeep Singh Nijjar homicide: How are mayors of cities with giant Sikh populations reacting to Trudeau’s allegation?

This report by The Canadian Press was first revealed Sept. 22, 2023.

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