Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau, while testifying before Canada’s Foreign Interference Inquiry on Wednesday in Ottawa, admitted that his government had provided just intelligence, “not hard evidentiary proof” to India in the now very public case of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Khalistani terrorist and separatist, who was killed last year, resulting in the blowing up of the Indo-Canadian relationship, amid a massive diplomatic row.
The Ministry of External Affairs, in a late night statement, affirmed its stand after Justin Trudeau’s testimony, saying what it has heard only “confirms” New Delhi’s consistent stand that Canada has “presented us no evidence” in support of the serious allegations Canada chose to level against India and Indian diplomats.
Acknowledging that he had no “hard evidentiary proof” and had only intelligence when Canada alleged the involvement of Indian government agents in the killing of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Nijjar last year, Justin Trudeau said there were “clear indications” that India had violated Canadian sovereignty.
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, in response to media queries related to Justin Trudeau’s deposition, said, “What we have heard today only confirms what we have been saying consistently all along – Canada has presented us no evidence whatsoever in support of the serious allegations that it has chosen to level against India and Indian diplomats.”
The ministry further said, “The responsibility for the damage that this cavalier behaviour has caused to India-Canada relations lies with Prime Minister Trudeau alone.”
Testifying before the public inquiry into foreign interference in federal electoral processes and democratic institutions, Justin Trudeau also claimed the Indian diplomats were collecting information on Canadians who are in disagreement with the Narendra Modi government and passing it to the highest levels within the Indian government and criminal organisations like the Lawrence Bishnoi gang.
India strongly rejected attempts by the Canadian authorities to link Indian agents with criminal gangs in Canada. Official sources in New Delhi told news agency PTI that Ottawa’s assertion that it shared evidence with New Delhi in the Hardeep Singh Nijjar case was simply not true.
India expels 6 Canadian diplomats
India earlier on Monday expelled six Canadian diplomats and also announced withdrawing its high commissioner from Canada after dismissing Ottawa’s allegations linking the envoy to a probe into the killing of Nijjar.
The escalation in diplomatic tussle between India and Canada is a major downturn in already frosty relations between the two nations.
The ties between the two countries came under severe strain following Justin Trudeau’s allegations in September last year of a “potential” involvement of Indian agents in Nijjar’s killing.
India strongly rejected the Canadian Prime Minister’s charges as “absurd”.
India has been maintaining that the main issue between the two countries is that of Canada giving space to pro-Khalistan elements operating from Canadian soil with impunity.
Nijjar, who was declared a terrorist by India, was shot dead outside a gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia, on June 18 last year.
(With Agency Inputs)
