India has strongly criticized Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for his handling of the diplomatic standoff between the two countries, following Justin Trudeau’s admission that Canada lacks concrete evidence to support allegations against India regarding the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) issued a sharply worded statement, accusing Justin Trudeau of irresponsibly escalating tensions between the two nations without presenting any proof to substantiate his claims.
The controversy erupted after Justin Trudeau testified before a parliamentary inquiry into foreign interference, where he acknowledged that his government had only “intelligence-based speculation” rather than “hard evidentiary proof” linking Indian agents to Hardeep Singh Nijjar’s murder. Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a prominent figure in the Khalistani separatist movement, was killed in Canada, leading Justin Trudeau to accuse India of violating Canadian sovereignty. However, the Canadian prime minister admitted that his country’s intelligence agencies had not provided any concrete evidence when New Delhi requested proof.
“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 MEA said in its statement. The ministry blamed Justin Trudeau for the deteriorating relations between India and Canada, which have seen both countries expel diplomats in tit-for-tat moves. The diplomatic standoff, which has lasted for over a year, has pushed bilateral relations to an all-time low.
The MEA’s statement underscored that the responsibility for the damage caused to India-Canada relations lies squarely with Justin Trudeau. “The responsibility for the damage that this cavalier behavior has caused to India-Canada relations lies with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alone,” the ministry stated.
The row between Ottawa and New Delhi has intensified in recent weeks, with both sides accusing the other of mishandling the situation. Canada has claimed that Indian representatives have made efforts to silence critics of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government on Canadian soil, while India has repeatedly charged Canada with making baseless accusations without providing any substantive evidence. Despite the diplomatic tensions, neither side has shown signs of backing down, raising concerns about the future of bilateral cooperation between the two countries.
This latest development follows a year of escalating disputes between India and Canada, further straining diplomatic ties amid mutual recriminations.
