Punjabi music superstar Gurdas Maan has cancelled all his upcoming shows in Canada, scheduled to be held between October 22 and October 31, amid the ongoing diplomatic conflict between New Delhi and Ottawa over the killing of Khalistani leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
Gurjit Bal Productions, which is coordinating the event, announced the cancellation of the shows.
"We regret to inform you that Gurdas Maan's ‘Akhiyaan Udeekdiyan’ Canada tour, scheduled to take place this month, has been POSTPONED. We understand that this news may come as a disappointment to many of his fans and we sincerely apologize for any inconvenience caused," the production company wrote on Facebook.
"In light of the current diplomatic unrest between the two countries and after careful consideration and assessment of the unpredictable circumstances, it has been determined that the cancellation of the event is the most responsible and necessary course of action for the time being," it added.
The production company said that all necessary steps would be taken to refund any registration fees or ticket purchases made for the event.
Why has the relationship between India and Canada touched low points over the Nijjar killing?
Diplomatic ties between New Delhi and Ottawa soured quickly after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged that New Delhi could be behind Nijjar's killing in Canada, though he has not offered any evidence yet to support this claim. Trudeau made this allegation shortly after visiting India for the G20 Summit, where Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other officials conveyed to him India's concerns over Khalistani separatist activities in Canada.
Soon after this, on September 18, Trudeau alleged the "potential" involvement of Indian agents in the killing of Khalistani extremist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey, British Columbia, on June 18. India dismissed the allegation, calling it “absurd” and “motivated”.
In 2020, India designated Nijjar as a terrorist. According to reports that followed Trudeau's allegations, Nijjar had reached Canada with fake papers and made false claims to seek asylum there.