The Ministry of Exterior Affairs (MEA) Monday strongly rejected Canada’s allegations suggesting the involvement of Indian Excessive Commissioner Sanjay Verma and different diplomats within the Hardeep Singh Nijjar homicide plot, calling them “preposterous, political agenda centered round vote financial institution politics”.
Issuing a robust assertion on this regard, the MEA mentioned that they’ve acquired “a diplomatic communication from Canada yesterday (on Sunday) suggesting that the Indian Excessive Commissioner and different diplomats are ‘individuals of curiosity’ in a matter associated to an investigation in that nation.
“The Authorities of India strongly rejects these preposterous imputations and ascribes them to the political agenda of the Trudeau Authorities that’s centered round vote financial institution politics,’ the assertion mentioned.
It additional added that ever since Prime Minister Trudeau made sure allegations in September 2023, the Canadian Authorities has not shared a shred of proof with the Authorities of India, regardless of many requests from the Indian aspect. “This newest step follows interactions which have once more witnessed assertions with none info. This leaves little doubt that on the pretext of an investigation, there’s a deliberate technique of smearing India for political positive aspects,” the MEA mentioned.
Prime Minister Trudeau’s hostility to India has lengthy been in proof, Indian assertion mentioned, including that “his bare interference in Indian inner politics in December 2020 confirmed how far he was keen to go on this regard.
” This newest improvement focusing on Indian diplomats is now the following step in that course. It’s no coincidence that it takes place as Prime Minister Trudeau is to depose earlier than a Fee on international interference. It additionally serves the anti-India separatist agenda that the Trudeau Authorities has continually pandered to for slender political positive aspects,” the MEA assertion mentioned.
India reiterated that the Trudeau Authorities has consciously supplied area to violent extremists and terrorists to harass, threaten and intimidate Indian diplomats and neighborhood leaders in Canada. This has included loss of life threats to them and to Indian leaders, the assertion mentioned.
Simply days in the past, Trudeau had a “transient alternate” with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the East Asia summit in Laos and underlined the “security of Canadians and upholding the rule of legislation” as one of many basic obligations of any Canadian authorities.
This was the second time since final 12 months that the 2 leaders got here nose to nose amid the strained diplomatic ties – the final one got here in June on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Italy, when PMO had tweeted an image of them shaking fingers, “Met Canadian PM @JustinTrudeau on the G7 Summit.”
About Friday’s “transient alternate”, sources in New Delhi mentioned that there was “no substantive dialogue” between the 2 leaders in Vientiane and that India continues to anticipate that “anti-India Khalistani actions won’t be allowed to happen on Canadian soil and that agency motion, which is missing up to now, will probably be taken in opposition to these advocating violence, extremism and terrorism in opposition to India from Canadian territory”.
“The rising nexus of such forces with organized crime, drug syndicates and human trafficking ought to be a priority for Canada as nicely,” the sources mentioned.
Sources additionally mentioned that India “attaches significance to relations with Canada however these can’t be repaired except the Canadian Authorities takes strict and verifiable motion in opposition to those that actively pursue anti-India actions and have conspired to advertise hate, disinformation, communal disharmony and violence in India in addition to Canada”.
Trudeau was the one to make their alternate public. “I emphasised that there’s work that we have to do,” Trudeau advised reporters in Laos. “I gained’t go into particulars about what we talked about, however what I’ve mentioned many occasions is that the protection of Canadians and upholding the rule of legislation is likely one of the basic obligations of any Canadian authorities, and that’s what I’ll keep targeted on,” he added.
Ties with Canada have suffered a setback since September final 12 months, when Trudeau alleged the Indian authorities’s hand within the assassination of Canada-based pro- Khalistan separatist determine Hardeep Singh Nijjar. India had rejected the costs as “absurd” and “motivated”.
Canada has arrested 4 Indian nationals in the middle of their investigations within the Nijjar case.
On Friday, in Laos, Trudeau mentioned he stands behind his allegation. He mentioned nationwide safety businesses and legislation enforcement “proceed to be deeply engaged on this subject.”
After the Lok Sabha elections, Trudeau had congratulated PM Modi for his victory in June this 12 months, saying talks with India can now resume on “some very severe points round nationwide safety and preserving Canadians secure and the rule of legislation”.
Shut on the heels of Canadian allegations, an unsealed US indictment in November 2023 alleged officers in New Delhi provided $100,000 to drug vendor Nikhil Gupta to rent a hitman to kill US-Canadian citizen and Sikh activist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in New York. The US indictment mentioned the New Delhi officers additionally thought-about tasking Gupta with killing Nijjar.
India responded to the US allegations by stating that it had launched an investigation — a response distinctly totally different from its response to Trudeau’s assertion within the Canadian parliament. Gupta, who was arrested in Prague, has since been extradited to the US.
