The Indian High Commissioner to Canada, Sanjay Kumar Verma, has once again called on Canada to release evidence supporting its allegations related to the killing of pro-Khalistan terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. The dispute between India and Canada escalated earlier this year when Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau suggested the possibility of Indian government involvement in Nijjar’s murder.
In what appears to be his first televised interview since Canada made these accusations, Sanjay Kumar Verma spoke with CTV News Channel, expressing India’s willingness to examine any “specific and relevant” evidence provided in support of Trudeau’s claims.
When asked why India was perceived as not cooperating with the investigation after Trudeau’s allegations, Verma responded, “There are two points. One is that even before the investigation was completed, India was convicted. Is that a rule of law?”
During the interview, Verma was questioned about how India was considered convicted when it was merely an allegation raised by the Canadian government. He explained, “Because India was asked to cooperate, and if you look at the typical terminology, when someone asks to cooperate, which means you are already convicted and you better cooperate. We took it in very different interpretations, but we always said that if there is anything specific and relevant communicated to us, we will look into it.”
Earlier this month, in an interview with The Globe and Mail, Verma reiterated that neither Canada nor its allies had presented concrete evidence pertaining to Nijjar’s killing. He stated, “There is no specific or relevant information provided in this case for us to assist them in the investigation.”
The diplomatic row began on September 18 when Prime Minister Trudeau informed the House of Commons about “credible allegations” of a potential link between Indian agents and the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey, British Columbia, on June 18.
In the immediate aftermath of Trudeau’s statement, both India and Canada expelled each other’s diplomats. India initially suspended its visa services to Canada but later relaxed these restrictions for a select group of individuals. Recently, on Wednesday, India resumed issuing electronic visas for Canadian nationals.
Verma, while denying India’s involvement in the case, suggested that Trudeau’s public statements had negatively impacted the Canadian Police investigation into the killing, potentially causing damage to the probe’s integrity.
