By Reuters

Canada blocks access to documentary about death of Sikh activist

By Reuters

September 19, 2022

NEW DELHI, Sept 19 (Reuters) - The June murder of a Sikh separatist leader in Canada has triggered new diplomatic tensions between India and Canada, with India blocking access to a documentary about the incident on YouTube.

The documentary, titled "The Vancouver Six", alleges that six Indian men were involved in the targeted killing of Ripudaman Singh Malik, a Sikh activist who was shot dead in Surrey, British Columbia, on July 14.

India's Ministry of Information and Broadcasting issued a statement on Sunday saying that the documentary "contains false, defamatory, and malicious content" and that it had asked YouTube to remove the video from its platform.

YouTube has not yet responded to the Indian government's request, but the documentary is currently unavailable to view in India.

The Canadian government has condemned the murder of Malik and has said that it is working with Indian authorities to investigate the incident.

The killing of Malik has sparked outrage among Sikh communities in Canada and India, and has raised concerns about the safety of Sikh activists in both countries.