Amid the ongoing diplomatic crisis between the two nations, India on Wednesday strongly dismissed a new Canadian media report as a "smear campaign" claiming that the Indian prime minister was aware of the alleged plot to kill Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar on Canadian soil.
Responding to the allegation, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said such "ludicrous statements" should be dismissed with the contempt they deserve.
"We do not normally comment on media reports. However, such ludicrous statements made to a newspaper purportedly by a Canadian government source should be dismissed with the contempt they deserve," he said while adding, "Smear campaigns like this only further damage our already strained ties."
What did the report say?
Citing inputs from a senior national security official, the report by Canadian newspaper The Globe and Mail claimed that the Indian prime minister, the national security advisor, and the external affairs minister were also in the loop of the Nijjar killing plot.
The diplomatic ties between India and Canada further nosedived last month following Canada linking Indian High Commissioner Sanjay Verma and some other diplomats to the murder.
On October 16, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who sat before the Commission of Inquiry over the ongoing investigation, admitted that Canada only had "only intelligence, not evidence" regarding India's involvement in the killing of pro-Khalistani leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar on Canadian soil. Nijjar, a wanted pro-Khalistani terrorist, was killed outside a gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia on June 18, 2023.
"Canada asked India to cooperate. Their (India) ask was for proof. We asked for Indian security agencies to investigate further and cooperate with us. Because at that point what we (Canada) had was intelligence," Trudeau said.
"At that point, it was primarily intelligence and not hard evidentiary proof. So we said, let's work together and look into your security services and maybe we can get that out," he said while testifying before the country's Foreign Interference Commission.
Trudeau confirms presence of Khalistanis in Canada
On November 4, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for the first time admitted to the presence of Khaslistani supporters in the country while also asserting they do not represent the entire Sikh community in Canada.
Trudeau's remark came during a Diwali event at Ottawa’s Parliament Hill. The event was reportedly organised by Cabinet Ministers Anita Anand and Gary Anandasangaree.
In his address, the Trudeau also iterated that there are Hindu supporters of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Canada, but similarly they also do not represent the Hindu community as a whole in Canada.
"There are many supporters of Khalistan in Canada, but they do not represent the Sikh Community as a whole. There are supporters of the Modi government in Canada, but they do not represent all Hindu Canadians as a whole," Trudeau said in his address to the Indian community during Diwali celebrations at Ottawa's Parliament Hill.
India-Canada diplomatic feud
Accusing them of being a part of the Indian government's 'campaign of violence', the Trudeau-led Canadian government on October 14 expelled six Indian diplomats. In a befitting response, India also followed the same path and expelled six Canadian diplomats.
India had also summoned Canada's Charge d'Affaires Stewart Wheeler and said that the "baseless targeting" of the Indian High Commissioner and other diplomats and officials in Canada was completely unacceptable.
Responding to Canada's accusations, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has repeatedly said the Canadian government did not share any evidence of India's involvement in Nijjar's killing despite repeated requests.
