India refutes Canada's claim of country's role in killing of Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar, terms it 'absurd and motivated'
PTC Web Desk: In response to Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's claim of India's involvement in the killing of Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in June, India has firmly rejected the same. Notably, Canada has expelled the head of India's foreign intelligence agency, the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), based in Ottawa, further exacerbating the already fragile relations between Ottawa and New Delhi.
"India rejects allegations by Canada," MEA issues statement.
"We have seen and reject the statement of the Canadian Prime Minister in their Parliament, as also the statement by their Foreign Minister. Allegations of Government of India's involvement in any act of violence in… pic.twitter.com/RmH8eFDinR
— ANI (@ANI) September 19, 2023
"We have seen and reject the statement of the Canadian Prime Minister in their Parliament, as also the statement by their Foreign Minister. Allegations of 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 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," India said in a statement.
"That Canadian political figures have openly expressed sympathy for such elements remains a matter of deep concern. The space given in Canada to a range of illegal activities including murders, human trafficking and organised crime is not new. We reject any attempts to connect Government of India to such developments. We urge the Government of Canada to take prompt and effective legal action against all anti-India elements operating from their soil," the statement added.
During an emergency parliamentary session, Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stated that his government had received "credible allegations" linking Indian agents to the killing of Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was wanted in British Columbia. Trudeau strongly called on the Indian government to cooperate in resolving this matter.
Foreign Minister Melanie Jolie made the announcement of the immediate expulsion of the senior Indian diplomat without disclosing the official's name, confirming that this diplomat was indeed the head of RAW in Canada.
Nijjar, who had been wanted in India, was fatally shot on June 18 in Surrey, a Vancouver suburb with a significant Sikh community. He was accused of carrying out terrorist attacks in India.
Tensions between India and Canada had been simmering due to the unsolved killing, with India expressing dissatisfaction over how Canada dealt with individuals associated with alleged Khalistani supporters. Canada's accusation has garnered international attention, with some drawing parallels to state-sponsored assassinations of political opponents, such as the case of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, orchestrated by Saudi Arabia in Turkey in 2018.
Earlier, during the G20 summit in New Delhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed concerns about anti-India activities by extremist elements in Canada during a meeting with Trudeau, according to an official statement. Canada had recently halted negotiations for a free trade agreement with India. Trudeau reiterated Canada's commitment to defending freedom of expression, conscience, and peaceful protest while firmly opposing hatred.
- With inputs from agencies
