Amid the diplomatic showdown between India and Canada, New Delhi's latest statement says that Canada has no proof or evidence against its "credible allegations" against India.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who sat before the Commission of Inquiry regarding the ongoing investigation into foreign interference during the Canadian elections in 2019 and 2021, Trudeau admitted that Canada only had "intelligence, not evidence" regarding India's involvement.
"I was briefed on the fact that there was intelligence from Canada, and possibly from Five Eyes allies that made it fairly clear, incredibly clear, that India was involved in this… Agents of the Government of India were involved in the killing of a Canadian on Canadian soil,” said the Liberal Party leader.
In response to this, India once again reiterated its stance from September 2023 and stated that Canada has no proof against New Delhi and its alleged involvement in the killing of Khalistan separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
"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," said MEA.
"The responsibility for the damage that this cavalier behaviour has caused to India-Canada relations lies with Prime Minister Trudeau alone," the Indian government added further.
Amid the India-Canada Row, the United States has expressed its satisfaction with the Indian government's cooperation in the investigation into the foiled assassination plot against Gurpatwant Singh Pannun.
Pannun is a US-based advocate and known Khalistani separatist and Indian government-designated terrorist.
"We updated the members of the committee of inquiry about the investigation that the US has been conducting and we have received an update from them on investigations that they have been conducting. It was a productive meeting. They did inform us that the individual who was named in the justice department indictment is no longer an employee of the Indian government," said Matthew Miller, the spokesperson for the US State Department.
"We are satisfied with the cooperation. It continues to be an ongoing process. We continue to work with them on that, but we do appreciate the cooperation and we appreciate them updating us on their investigation as we update them on ours," he added.
In September 2023, weeks after the G20 Summit in New Delhi, Justin Trudeau stated Canada has "credible allegations" that point to the Indian government's role in the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
Nijjar, a Canadian Sikh, known as Khalistan separatist and Indian government-designated terrorist, was gunned down outside a gurudwara in Surrey, British Columbia on June 18, 2023.
Since then, members of the Khalistan movement such as Gurpatwant Singh Pannun and other leaders, have alleged Indian involvement in Nijjar's killing. Furthermore, Indian diplomats across Canada, US and the UK were targeted by K-supporters.
India has continued to deny all allegations against it as "absurd" and "politically motivated".
The row escalated after the Indian government received a diplomatic cable from Canada stating that High Commissioner Sanjay Kumar Verma is a "person of interest" in the Nijjar killing case.
Following this, India "strongly protested" the decision and announced the withdrawal of all Indian diplomats in Canada. However, Canada claims that the Trudeau administration expelled Verma and his team.
After the summoning of acting High Commissioner Stewart Wheeler by MEA, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police laid out more allegations against India, following which, India and Canada expelled six diplomats each.
