NEW DELHI: India has strongly refuted Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau‘s claims, stating that the assertions made by Canadian officials about presenting evidence in the Sikh extremist
Hardeep Singh Nijjar
case are untrue.
“It was same old Trudeau saying same old things for same old reasons. Assertions by Canadian officials that Canada presented credible evidence to India in
Nijjar case
is simply not true,” news agency PTI quoted government sources as saying.
“Canadian approach is to make vague accusations, put burden of denial on India,” it added.
India also dismissed the Royal Canadian Mounted Police’s (RCMP) allegations that Indian agents use criminals in Canada to target the South Asian community, particularly “pro-Khalistani elements,” citing a lack of specific evidence.
The RCMP made these remarks during a press conference in Ottawa, shortly after India expelled six diplomats of the Canadian high commission in Delhi.
The relationship between India and Canada has been under significant strain since September last year, when Trudeau alleged the potential involvement of Indian agents in Nijjar’s killing. India rejected these charges as “absurd” and maintained that the primary issue is Canada’s tolerance of pro-Khalistani elements operating freely on Canadian soil.
Earlier today, Trudeau accused India of using its diplomats and organized crime to attack Canadian citizens and make them feel unsafe in their own country, calling it a “monumental mistake” by New Delhi.
“From the beginning, as of last summer, we’ve worked closely with our Five Eyes partners, particularly with the United States, where they have gone through a similar pattern of behaviour from India in regards to an attempted extrajudicial killing,” Trudeau told reporters at a news conference in Ottawa.
“We will continue to work with our allies as we stand up together for the rule of law,” he said.
