Mumbai, 17th October 2024: On Thursday, India attributed the ongoing diplomatic crisis to the actions of the Justin Trudeau administration in Canada, while emphasizing the strong and vibrant people-to-people connections between the two nations.
“India-Canada economic relations are robust. We have a significant Indian diaspora in Canada, which serves as a bridge fostering strong interpersonal links. Additionally, Canada hosts a large number of international students from India,” said MEA spokesperson Jaiswal during a press briefing.
He asserted, “This diplomatic crisis has been triggered by unfounded allegations from the Trudeau government. This is how we view the future of our relationship.”
Reiterating New Delhi’s long-held stance, Jaiswal stated that the claims made by Trudeau regarding the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Nijjar are “unfounded” and intended to “sully” India’s reputation. He highlighted Trudeau’s recent acknowledgement that Canada had no “hard evidence” when it initially accused India of involvement in Nijjar’s killing.
During a public testimony on Wednesday, the Canadian Prime Minister admitted that Canada had only intelligence reports at the time of its allegations against Indian government agents regarding the Khalistani separatist’s death.
“We are clear that since September 2023, the Canadian government has not shared any information with us. After the public inquiry and hearing, Canada reiterated serious allegations but has yet to provide any evidence to support them. PM Trudeau’s admission further undermines the credibility of these allegations,” the MEA spokesperson stated.
The MEA also accused Canada of being motivated by domestic political agendas to damage India’s image on the international stage. “This behaviour appears to be driven by Canadian political motives, aiming to tarnish India’s reputation for reasons only known to them,” he added.
In response to inquiries about extradition requests made by India, the spokesperson noted that there are currently 26 pending requests, with no action taken by Canada. He mentioned that India had also requested the arrest of members of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, but Canada had not acted on these concerns.
“26 extradition requests are pending with Canada, submitted over the last decade, along with several provisional arrest requests concerning certain criminals. We have shared security-related information about gang members, including those from the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, and asked Canada to arrest them, yet no action has been taken,” the MEA spokesperson explained.
The MEA further accused Trudeau of ignoring anti-India elements operating on Canadian soil. “PM Trudeau claims to support a One India policy, but to date, no actions have been taken against the anti-India elements we’ve highlighted,” he stated.
The MEA also addressed inquiries regarding the investigation into the alleged Indian involvement in the foiled attempt to kill Gurupatwant Singh Pannun. Following statements from the United States indicating that a former RAW officer identified as ‘CC 1’ was “no longer an employee of the Indian government,” Jaiswal confirmed this but did not provide additional details. “He is not part of the Indian government setup. Beyond that, I have no further information,” Jaiswal stated.
In a press briefing on Wednesday, Matthew Miller, spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State, mentioned that a high-level Indian inquiry committee had a “productive meeting” with U.S. officials to share updates on their investigations related to the Pannun case. The U.S. announced the visit of the Indian inquiry committee on Monday, following the diplomatic fallout over Canada’s suggestion of Indian diplomats’ involvement in Nijjar’s assassination.
The tensions between India and Canada escalated after Trudeau accused India of orchestrating Nijjar’s killing in British Columbia last June, to which India responded by labelling the allegations as “absurd” and a part of a broader political strategy by Trudeau.
The situation intensified when Canada identified India’s High Commissioner and other diplomats as “persons of interest” in the Najjar investigation. In retaliation, India expelled six Canadian diplomats after summoning Charge d’Affaires Stewart Wheeler. The Indian government condemned Canada’s “baseless targeting” as unacceptable and expressed concerns for the safety of its diplomats amid rising extremism. Additionally, India announced the withdrawal of High Commissioner Sanjay Kumar Verma, asserting its right to take further action against what it sees as Canadian support for extremism.
Canada’s initial accusations, made without solid evidence, have strained an already fragile relationship, particularly regarding Canada’s allowance of pro-Khalistani activities on its territory. India has consistently criticized Canada for providing a platform for these elements, claiming they operate with impunity.