Canada's House of Commons passes motion on ‘foreign interference’ in its internal affairs

Canda’s House of commons passed a private member’s motion which includes allusion to an Indian link to the killing of pro-Khalistan figure Hardeep Singh Nijjar on June 18 last year.

The motion titled "Political Interference, Violence or Intimidation on Canadian Soil" was passed on Wednesday with 326 votes for and none against.

It was moved by Indo-Canadian MP Sukh Dhaliwal on February 12 and was seconded by several MPs, including eight Indo-Canadians.

Those who voted for it included Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, several Cabinet ministers, and leader of the opposition Conservative Party Pierre Poilievre.

The motion’s text stated it wants the House of recognize that “recent events, including the credible allegations of a link between agents of the Government of India and the killing of a Canadian citizen, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, at a place of worship on Canadian soil, are examples of rising forms of intimidation, threats, and interference from countries such as India, China, Russia, Iran, and others”.

The motion had been opposed by the leading Indo-Canadian organization, the Canada India Foundation (CIF).

Nijjar, considered a terrorist in India, was killed on June 18 last year in Surrey, British Columbia. His killing has impacted India’s bilateral ties with Canada after Trudeau stated in the House on September 18 that there were “credible allegations” of a potential link between Indian agents and his murder.