The Canadian government-led by Justin Trudeau, on Friday, denied a report in Canada’s popular media outlet – The Globe and Mail – that cited an unnamed national security official linking Prime Minister Narendra Modi, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval to criminal activities in Canada, including the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
In a statement released on Friday, Nathalie G Drouin, the Deputy Clerk of the Privy Council and National Security and Intelligence Advisor to the Prime Minister, said: “The Government of Canada has not stated, nor is it aware of evidence, linking Prime Minister Modi, Minister Jaishankar, or NSA Doval to the serious criminal activity within Canada.”
“Any suggestion to the contrary is both speculative and inaccurate,” the statement further said.
It also said that on October 14, “because of a significant and ongoing threat to public safety,” the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and officials took the “extraordinary step of making public accusations of serious criminal activity in Canada perpetrated by agents of the Government of India.”
On October 14, India expelled six Canadian diplomats and recalled its ambassador after they were designated as “persons of interest” in a probe by the Canadian police into the killing of Nijjar.
The response of Trudeau’s government on Friday came a day after India, on November 20, strongly refuted The Globe and Mail report, saying that it should be dismissed with the “contempt they deserve.”
To know in detail what The Globe and Mail report said,
click here.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said “smear campaigns” like this only “further damage our already strained ties”.
“We do not normally comment on media reports. However, such ludicrous statements made to a newspaper purportedly by a Canadian government source should be dismissed with the contempt they deserve. Smear campaigns like this only further damage our already strained ties,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiwal said.
In October this year, Trudeau had publicly accused India of conducting covert operations in Canada that posed a significant threat to public safety.
The Canadian PM claimed that his officials had made multiple attempts to collaborate with Indian authorities but faced consistent refusals.
He also stated that the RCMP had compelling evidence linking Indian government agents to activities such as information-gathering and coercion, including involvement in serious criminal acts and condemned these actions calling for respect for Canada’s sovereignty.
India rejected the allegations, labelling them as baseless and politically motivated with the MEA saying that Trudeau’s government was using anti-India rhetoric for domestic political gains.
Last year in September, Trudeau had claimed that he has “credible allegations” of India’s hand in the killing of Nijjar outside the Gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia, in June 2023.
The MEA denied the allegations, calling them “absurd” and “motivated” and accused Canada of giving space to extremist and anti-India elements in their country.
With inputs from agencies.
Link to article –
‘No evidence’: Trudeau govt denies Canada media report linking Modi, Jaishankar to Nijjar plot
