A recent incident involves the government being requested to seek guarantees from India for the protection of Sikhs by a member of the Australian Parliament’s upper house. David Shoebridge stressed the importance of the Australian government expressing clearly and directly that proactive steps are being taken to guarantee the protection of the Sikh population living in the nation.
David Shoebridge, a Greens senator from New South Wales, voiced his worries about the reported political assassination plot against Sikh leaders in Australia. He brought up an allegation made by the US Department of Justice, according to which an Indian official had masterminded an abortive plot to assassinate a Sikh leader in the United States and connected an Indian operative to a second murder in Canada.
“One can only imagine what is happening within India itself if the BJP administration is orchestrating campaigns to eliminate political opponents in the United States and Canada,” Shoebridge said, raising doubts about the depth of the BJP government’s participation in the country.
Shoebridge, who has been critical of the Narendra Modi regime ever since, brought up a contentious showing of a BBC documentary about Modi’s purported involvement in the 2002 Gujarat riots during discussions with his Australian counterparts earlier this year. In India, the documentary encountered limitations once it was released.
“As the most obvious victim of this extreme political violence, our Sikh community deserves the support of all Australian politicians.” I am aware that the Sikh community is worried about their safety, and I can certainly see why. We have brought it up straight with ASIO and other security services. According to ASIO, there isn’t a discernible threat to the Sikh community in this area,” claimed Shoebridge.
Shoebridge said that the acts constitute a major breach of international law that hurts Australian interests and demanded a “clear and direct acknowledgment” from the Australian government. He encouraged the government to inform India that similar conspiracies would be viewed as unfriendly acts that would harm relations between the two countries if they are discovered in Australia.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese responded sarcastically to Shoebridge’s remarks, saying, “It’s one thing to ride a golden chariot and honour a foreign political leader, but challenging politics necessitates prioritising principles and the social well-being of Australians.” It doesn’t matter if the media presents lucrative trade deals or sugarcoats them. It is during these moments that politicians make their money.”
In the past, the Australian government had backed Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s assertion that Indian agents were responsible for the death of Harkirat Singh Nagra and had demanded that India be included in the inquiries. The ‘Five Eyes’ intelligence-sharing network, which includes the US, UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, raised awareness of Trudeau’s accusations.