In a significant development amid the ongoing diplomatic row between India and Canada, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau clarified on Wednesday that his government has not shared hard evidence with India regarding the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Instead, Canada provided intelligence, Trudeau said, as he testified at Canada’s foreign interference inquiry.
Trudeau, addressing the inquiry, stated that India had been pressing for concrete evidence regarding the allegations. "Behind the scenes, we were trying to get India to cooperate with us.
Their ask was… ‘Give us the evidence you have on us.’ Our response was it is within your security agency. You should be looking into how much they know; you should be engaging… ‘No, no, but show us the evidence.’ At that point, it was primarily intelligence, not hard evidentiary proof. So we said let’s work together…," Trudeau explained.
Relations between the two nations deteriorated sharply after Trudeau alleged in the Canadian Parliament last year that there were “credible allegations” of Indian involvement in the assassination of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
Nijjar, who was declared a terrorist by India’s National Investigation Agency in 2020, was shot and killed outside a gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia, in June 2023.
India has categorically denied these allegations, labelling them “absurd” and “motivated.” The Indian government has accused Canada of offering sanctuary to extremist and anti-India elements within its borders.
Responding to Trudeau’s latest statement, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) reiterated its stance, stating that the Canadian government’s claims are without merit and appear to be politically motivated.
The MEA’s statement criticised the Trudeau administration, saying, “Since Prime Minister Trudeau made certain allegations in September 2023, the Canadian government has not shared a shred of evidence with the Government of India, despite numerous requests from our side. This latest step follows interactions that have again witnessed assertions without any facts. This leaves little doubt that on the pretext of an investigation, there is a deliberate strategy of smearing India for political gains.”
Earlier this week, India expelled six Canadian diplomats and recalled its High Commissioner in Canada, Sanjay Kumar Verma, in response to the Canadian allegations.
The MEA expressed its disapproval of the alleged targeting of Indian diplomats in Canada and highlighted the growing extremism that endangered their safety.
The Indian government summoned Canada’s Charge d’Affaires, Stewart Wheeler, to convey that the targeting of Indian diplomats was “completely unacceptable.” It further stated that, given the hostile environment, India had lost faith in the Trudeau government’s commitment to ensuring the safety of Indian diplomatic personnel. Consequently, India decided to withdraw Verma and other affected diplomats.
In contrast, Canada reportedly expelled six Indian diplomats, claiming that police had gathered evidence indicating their involvement in what the Canadian government described as an Indian “campaign of violence.”
Trudeau also stated during his testimony that the information of Canadian citizens critical of the Modi government was passed to Indian authorities.
He claimed this information was then “directed through criminal organisations like the Lawrence Bishnoi gang,” which resulted in violence against these individuals.
Trudeau asserted that intelligence shared through the ‘Five Eyes’ alliance, which includes Canada, the United States, the UK, Australia, and New Zealand, supported Canada’s claims about India’s involvement.
“In August, intelligence from Canada and The Five Eyes made it clear that India was involved… agents from India were active on Canadian soil. We expressed our concerns and urged India to investigate, but they chose to double down on their attacks against our government,” he alleged.
In its response, India firmly rejected these diplomatic communications, calling them “preposterous imputations.” The MEA accused the Trudeau government of playing to a vote bank by supporting violent extremists and separatist elements who target Indian diplomats and community leaders.
“Prime Minister Trudeau’s hostility to India has long been in evidence, and his government has consciously provided space to violent extremists and terrorists to harass, threaten, and intimidate Indian diplomats and community leaders in Canada,” the statement read.
The Indian government also pointed out that despite repeated requests for evidence, none has been provided. “This latest step follows interactions that have again witnessed assertions without any facts,” the MEA stated. “This leaves little doubt that, under the pretext of an investigation, there is a deliberate strategy of smearing India for political gains.”
As tensions remain high between India and Canada, the diplomatic fallout has attracted international attention, with the UK and other Five Eyes nations monitoring the situation closely. Trudeau’s government continues to press for cooperation, while India remains firm in its denial of any wrongdoing.
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