Amid strenuous India-Canada relations over the killing of Khalistani separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar, an independent blogger named Jennifer Zeng has come out to claim China's hand in the incident.
Zeng alleged that agents of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) were involved in the killing of Nijjar in Canada with the aim of framing India to create tensions between India and the West.
Further, she alleged that it was a part of the CCP's sinister "Ignition Plan" to disrupt the world in line with the military strategy of Xi Jinping regarding Taiwan. Zeng is a Chinese born rights activist and a journalist who is based in the United States.
Taking to X, she posted a video in which she termed the killing of Nijjar as an assassination and said, "Today shocking revelations about the 'assassination ' of Sikh religious leader, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, in Canada have emerged from within the CCP. It is alleged that the 'assassination' was carried out by CCP agents."
Hardeep Nijjar was shot dead in the parking lot of the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara in Surrey in British Columbia on June 18, this year. He was a designated terrorist in India.
Jennifer Zeng cited Chinese writer and YouTuber Lao Deng to support her claims, who she mentioned, lives in Canada now. "Lao stated that in early June this year as part of their disruption initiative 'Ignition Plan', the CCP Ministry of State Security sent a high-ranking official to Seattle, USA. A secret meeting was held there...The objective was to sabotage relations between India and the West," she is heard saying.
She further claimed, "The agents were tasked with assassinating Hardeep Singh Nijjar, the Sikh leader in Canada. Following the meeting, the CCP agents meticulously executed the killing plan."
Explaining their modus operandi, the independent blogger alleges, "On June 18th, the agents armed with silenced guns tracked Nijjar. When the deed was done, they destroyed the dash camera in Nijjar's Car to erase any evidence. After the crime, the agents fled, they burned their weapons and disguises to destroy all traces. The next day they left Canada in Airplanes."
She also alleged that the killers even purposely learned Indian-accent English. "Therefore, they purposely spoke in India accent English...In fact, these actions were part of the scheme by CCP secret agent to frame India," said Zeng.
She also claimed that Lao revealed that the CCP's 'ignition plan' was devised this year after the CCP's two sessions.
There has been no response to Jennifer Zeng's allegations, posted in the video on Sunday afternoon (US time) from either the Chinese foreign ministry or the Ministry of External Affairs.
The diplomatic ties between India and Canada soured after the Canadian government expelled a senior Indian diplomat accusing India of playing a role in the killing of a Khalistani separatist leader, Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada.
In the aftermath, India swiftly retaliated by issuing a statement that denied any involvement in the issue and expelled a senior Canadian diplomat. India has outrightly rejected the claims, calling it 'absurd' and 'motivated'.
Amid escalating tensions, India has called for parity in the number of Canadian diplomats in India.
Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi earlier this month said that Canadian diplomatic presence is much higher in India and they assume "there would be reduction".
"On discussions on parity, given the much higher presence of diplomats or diplomatic presence here and their interference in our internal matters, we have sought parity in our respective diplomatic presence. Discussions are ongoing to achieve this. Given that Canadian diplomatic presence is higher, we would assume that there would be a reduction," said MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi.
