CBC reported Wednesday that India blocked access on YouTube and X to a Canadian investigative documentary focused on the alleged involvement of the Indian government in the murder of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was killed last June in British Columbia, Canada.

The CBC Fifth Estate documentary, released last Friday, connects Nijjar ‘s death to a murder-for-hire plot by the Indian government and notes India’s current and past targeting of Sikh Canadians. Since Nijjar’s death, no arrests or suspects have been named by the Canadian authorities.

Youtube informed CBC that they “had received an order from India’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology to block access to the video of the story from its website.” In practice, this “blocks the content from view” within India. X (formerly Twitter) also informed CBC that it “had received a legal removal demand from the Indian government relating to the [documentary].”

On both occasions in dealing with these social media companies, the Indian government referred to its Information Technology Act 2000, specifically s.69, which allows the government to “intercept any information transmitted through any computer resource … in the interest of the sovereignty or integrity of India, the security of the State, friendly relations with foreign States or public order or for preventing incitement to the commission of any cognizable offence.”

X responded to India’s demand by stating they “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,” they added.

Nijjar was the president of the Guru Nanak Gurdwara, a Sikh place of worship, which he was exiting when he was gunned down by unknown men, dying immediately.  Nijjar was an activist in Canada who advocated for the formation of an independent Sikh country in India, known as Khalistan.

India has labeled some Khalistan supporters terrorists, with cash rewards posted for their bounty by India’s National Investigation Agency (NIA). The NIA had previously posted a bounty for Nijjar, accusing him of being part of the militant Khalistan Tiger Force, which India says was responsible for a 2007 cinema bombing in Punjab. In 2022 Canada’s federal police, the RCMP, gave Najjir a duty to warn, an action provided to citizens when it is believed their life is at risk. RCMP did not inform Nijjar of who might be targeting him at the time.

In September of 2023, following Nijjar’s death, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau rose before the House of Commons suggesting a link between Nijjar’s killing and the Indian government. Details on this link have not been provided. India has denied any connection to Nijjar’s death. Canada-India relations have been strained since.