Canada on Thursday clarified it has not stated nor is it aware of any evidence linking Prime Minister Narendra Modi, external affairs minister S Jaishankar, or National Security Advisor Ajit Doval to the “serious criminal activity” within the North American country.
“Any suggestion to the contrary is both speculative and inaccurate,” said Nathalie G Drouin, the national security and intelligence advisor to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, in a statement.
The statement said on October 14, because of a significant and ongoing threat to public safety, Canadian national police service or the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and officials took the extraordinary step of making public accusations of serious criminal activity in Canada perpetrated by agents of the Government of India.
Drouin’s clarification came a day after India trashed as a “smear campaign” The Globe and Mail report claiming Modi was aware of the alleged plot to kill Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
External affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said they do not normally comment on media reports but such ludicrous statements made to a newspaper purportedly by a Canadian government source should be dismissed with the contempt they deserve. He added smear campaigns like this only further damage already strained ties.
The Globe and Mail cited inputs from a senior national security official and claimed that Doval and Jaishankar were also in the loop of the plot to kill Nijjar.
India-Canada ties worsened in October as Canada linked diplomats including high commissioner Sanjay Verma to the murder. India rejected the allegations and recalled the Verma even as the Canadian government said the Indian diplomats were expelled. India expelled six other diplomats including acting high commissioner Stewart Wheeler following Canada’s allegations.
Trudeau’s allegations in September last year linking Indian government agents with Nijjar’s murder sparked tensions between India and Canada. The ties hit a new low after New Delhi dismissed as “preposterous” Canada’s move to question six Indian diplomats, including Verma, in connection with the killing. Canadian foreign minister Mélanie Joly said all options were on the table even as India has maintained Canada has not shared any shred of evidence to support the allegations.
