India has ordered prominent video-sharing platforms to block access to a new Canadian documentary probing the assassination of a prominent Sikh activist in Vancouver, in a move that highlights India’s mounting frustration with the allegations its government was behind the high-profile killing.
The request marks the second time in just over a year that India has sought to block a documentary critical of the Indian government or its leader, Narendra Modi. In 2023, India used emergency laws to block the distribution of the BBC documentary India: The Modi Question.
Last week, the CBC’s Fifth Estate, the national broadcaster’s investigative unit, aired Contract to Kill, a 43-minute documentary about the shooting death of Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
Nijjar, who held Canadian citizenship, was shot and killed in a parking lot in suburban Vancouver. The murder, and subsequent investigation by Canada’s national security apparatus, prompted the prime minister, Justin Trudeau, in September to tell the country’s parliament there were “credible allegations” that “agents of the Indian government” were behind the killing. India has rejected Canada’s allegations, and relations between the two countries remain strained.
Earlier this week, YouTube told the CBC that it had received an order from India’s ministry of electronics and information technology, requesting it to block access to the video of the story from its website.
The video-sharing platform said “the content has now been blocked from view” on the India YouTube country site, but it is still available outside the country.
In its request, the Indian government cited the country’s Information Technology Act of 2000 which gives it the power to “intercept, monitor or decrypt any information generated, transmitted, received or stored in any computer resource”.
India also made a request to the social media site X, formerly Twitter, requesting it block access to the documentary.
“Indian law obligates X to withhold access to this content in India; however, the content remains available elsewhere,” X said in an email to the CBC. “We disagree with this action and maintain that freedom of expression should extend to these posts. Following the Indian legal process, we are in current communication with the Indian authorities.”
The documentary includes security footage of Nijjar leaving the parking lot of the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara temple on a June evening. As he approaches the exit, a white vehicle blocks his truck and two men, dressed in hooded sweatshirts, approach the truck and shoot Nijjar.
“CBC News stands by its journalism on this story. To ensure fairness and balance, the documentary included a wide range of voices, witnesses and subject matter experts,” Chuck Thompson, CBC’s head of public affairs, said in a statement. “And, as is the case with all stories on the Fifth Estate, Contract to Kill was thoroughly researched, vetted by senior editorial leaders and meets our journalistic standards.”
Canada’s allegations that India was behind the assassination have yet to produce any arrests, despite an ongoing police investigation. The allegations also resurfaced this week when New Zealand’s deputy prime minister, Winston Peters, appeared to cast doubt on Canada’s claims.
According to the Indian Express newspaper, Peters made comments to the media outlet during a recent visit to India. “Where’s the evidence? Where’s the finding right here, right now? Well, there isn’t one,” Peters is reported to have said.
“New Zealand’s position on the allegations remains unchanged – if they are proven correct, then that would be of serious concern,” John Tulloch, the senior press secretary in Peters’ office, said in a statement. “The minister’s point is that this is an ongoing criminal investigation. It needs to run its course before clear conclusions can be drawn.”
