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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks to the audience during the Sikh Foundation Gala in Toronto on Saturday, May 4, 2024.Arlyn McAdorey/The Canadian Press

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has acknowledged the charges laid Friday in relation to the murder of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

Speaking Saturday at a Sikh Foundation of Canada gala at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto, Trudeau said Canadians have a fundamental right to live safely, free from discrimination and threats of violence.

Nijjar was shot last June in Surrey, and his death set off a wave of protests and rallies from local communities against diplomats from India.

Police make arrests in killing of B.C. Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar

Three Indian nationals were charged in the 2023 killing, which threw Ottawa’s relationship with India into disarray.

Police say they are investigating whether the Indian government was involved, an allegation made by Trudeau in the House of Commons last year.

At the gala, Trudeau called for calm and steadfastness in commitment to democratic principles and the justice system.

India’s spy agency reportedly linked to killing of Canadian Sikh activist

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