Commenting on the Canadian Parliament’s minute’s silence in honour of pro-Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland said the killing of a Canadian was totally unacceptable. Canada’s Deputy Prime Minister made the statement in response to a question about honouring a person who has been placed on a no-fly list by Canada and whose entire assets have been frozen.
India had previously criticised the Canadian Parliament’s “minute of silence” for pro-Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar on June 18. India stressed that New Delhi was against any measures that gave strength to extremism.
Pro-Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nikkar was shot dead by two unidentified men in the parking lot of a Gurdwara in Surrey on June 18 last year. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau claimed India was involved in the murder. The allegations led to strained diplomatic relations between the two countries.
The video of Canada’s Deputy Prime Minister’s response to this question has gone viral on social media, showing her baffled by the question of why Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar was honoured by the Canadian Parliament.
Chrystia Freeland @cafreeland is baffled as to why Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was on the no-fly list before his death and whose bank accounts were frozen, is now being honoured in Parliament after his death… what exactly has changed?
Listen to them… pic.twitter.com/fO8KcfGBki
— Journalist V (@OnTheNewsBeat) 21 June 2024
“I want to start by saying that this week was a very sad and solemn anniversary of the murder. I was in the House of Commons and I guess all three of us were there (he meant the two men sitting next to her). It was important to observe a minute’s silence to acknowledge that this was the murder of a Canadian in Canada on Canadian soil and that is totally unacceptable. Secondly, I want to say that I was very proud of the Prime Minister and the strong stance he took after the murder.”
She continued, “It was the right thing to do, but it wasn’t easy.” In her response to the question, Freeland echoed Trudeau’s words about the need to ensure equality and protection from threats under Canadian law, but she avoided a direct statement on why Nijjar was on the no-fly list and his accounts were frozen by the Canadian government.
“The Canadian government will enforce our laws and protect all Canadians, regardless of who threatens them and what the consequences might be. Doing that was a big deal for the Prime Minister, and I think we should all feel safer knowing that he will stand up for Canadians and against the killers of Canadians, no matter what,” she said.
