The lawyer for a Surrey, B.C. man who has been accused of terrorism by the Indian government says the allegations are false and politically motivated.
Hardeep Singh Nijjar is only being targeted because he supports a referendum campaign calling for Sikh independence in the state of Punjab, human rights lawyer Gurpatwant Singh Pannun said.
"We will defend Nijjar against any attempt to extradite him to India," Pannun said in a statement. "Indian authorities often label Sikh activists as terrorists, (when they) are simply trying to raise awareness in Canada about human rights violations."
According to documents from India's National Investigation Agency, Nijjar is being investigated for allegedly trying to plot a deadly attack in the South Asian country.
The government said it received "credible information" that the B.C. resident tried to secure financing to purchase weapons and training for Sikh youth so they could target Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, a right-wing volunteer organization that’s closely tied to India’s ruling party.
"He intends to execute the attack at a time and place where there is a large gathering so there are maximum casualties," the documents read.
But Nijjar insists he is only involved in a human rights campaign focused on promoting Sikh rights and exposing anti-Sikh violence.
"I am a Sikh nationalist who believes in and supports Sikhs' rights to self-determination," he said through his lawyer. "My activities are peaceful, democratic and protected under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms."
This isn’t the first time Nijjar has faced similar allegations from abroad. Back in 2016, he appealed to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for help clearing his name following a report that he had set up a terrorist training camp near Mission, B.C.
