After Canada arrested three Indians for the murder of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar has stated that India will wait for information from the Canadian police regarding the arrests.
Canadian Police arrested three Indians on Friday in relation to Nijjar's murder. The police has taken the suspects into custody to probe whether they have links to the Indian government.
As per the EAM, the suspects are "Indians of some kind of gang background... we'll have to wait for the police to tell us."
However, the union minister added that even if the suspects are part of a gang, Canada has allowed organized crime to grow and operate.
"But, as I said, one of our concerns which we have been telling them is that, you know, they have allowed organized crime from India, specifically from Punjab, to operate in Canada," Jaishankar was quoted as saying by news agency Reuters.
"We have convinced them several times not to give visa, legitimacy or political space to such people which is causing problems for them (Canada), for us and also for our relationship,” the minister added further.
Jaishankar further added that India has sought for the extradition of 25 people, all believed to be pro-Khalistani, but, Canada is yet to act on those requests.
Sanjay Verma, Indian High Commissioner to Canada stated that he is hopeful to get regular updates from Canadian authorities regarding the arrests of the three Indians. Apart from this, the envoy added that the "issue is internal to Canada"
Hardeep Singh Nijjar was shot dead outside a gurudwara in Surrey on June 18, 2023. A few months after his death, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau publicly accused the Indian government of ordering the assassination of the Khalistani leader.
The Canadian leader stated that they have "credible allegations" linking the Indian government to Nijjar's death. India, however, has refuted all claims and stated that Canada's accusations are "false and politically motivated".
The tensions between India and Canada escalated into the diplomatic crisis after both countries expelled diplomats and put a halt on visas. India also urged Canada to downsize its diplomatic presence across the country.
