In a strongly worded statement on Tuesday, India rebuked the alleged allegations made by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau regarding New Delhi’s ‘potential links’ to the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
Responding to a question about the strain in India-Canada diplomatic ties exacerbated by the Canadian PM’s allegations during a think tank event in New York, External Affairs Minister Dr. S Jaishankar clarified that it was not the “Government of India’s policy.” He stated that if Ottawa has specific and relevant information, New Delhi is open to examining it.
Significantly, the statement by the External Affairs Minister came after the US and other allies mentioned India’s cooperation in the Canadian investigation into Nijjar’s killing.
During a detailed statement on the matter, Dr. Jaishankar also highlighted the “organized crime related to secessionist forces, violence, and extremism” in Canada. He expressed concerns about Canada’s permissiveness in these matters due to political reasons.
“You also have to appreciate that in the last few years, Canada actually has seen a lot of organized crime relating to the secessionist forces, violence, extremism. They’re all very, very deeply mixed up,” he said.
“We have been providing the Canadians with a lot of information about organized crime leadership operating out of Canada. There are a large number of extradition requests. Terrorist leaders have been identified. It is important to factor this in to understand what is going on there. Our concern is that it’s been very permissive due to political reasons. So we have a situation where our diplomats are threatened, our consulates have been attacked, and comments are often made about ‘interference in our politics.’ A lot of this is justified, claiming, well, that’s how democracies work,” he added.
Moreover, it is pertinent to note that one can easily sense a thaw in India-Canada ties over the years, specifically due to Ottawa’s alleged leniency towards Khalistani extremism operating within their territory, fueling anti-India sentiments.
When Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced last week that his government was investigating possible ties between India and the June killing of a Canadian Sikh leader, the ties hit a new low with both countries expelling their top diplomats while issuing travel advisories citing different reasons.
Earlier, issuing a statement on the Canadian PM’s allegations, the Ministry of External Affairs said, “We have seen and reject the statement of the Canadian Prime Minister in their Parliament, as well as the statement by their Foreign Minister. Allegations of the Government of India’s involvement in any act of violence in Canada are absurd and motivated. Similar allegations were made by the Canadian Prime Minister to our Prime Minister, and were completely rejected. We are a democratic polity with a strong commitment to the rule of law. Such unsubstantiated allegations seek to shift the focus from Khalistani terrorists and extremists, who have been provided shelter in Canada and continue to threaten India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. The inaction of the Canadian Government on this matter has been a long-standing and continuing concern.”
