Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau recently acknowledged that his government has not provided solid evidence to back its accusations against India in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Following this admission, India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) reiterated its stance, saying this confirms what India has been stating all along — that Canada has failed to present any credible proof.
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal responded to Trudeau’s remarks, emphasizing that Canada's lack of evidence has consistently been a point of contention. "What we have heard today only confirms what we have been saying consistently — Canada has presented no evidence whatsoever to support the serious allegations it has made against India and Indian diplomats," Jaiswal said.
Jaiswal further criticized Trudeau’s handling of the situation, saying, "The responsibility for the damage this cavalier behaviour has caused to India-Canada relations lies with Prime Minister Trudeau alone."
Earlier, while testifying before Canada's foreign interference inquiry, Trudeau admitted that his government had shared intelligence but not “hard evidentiary proof” regarding India's alleged involvement in Nijjar’s death.
Relations between the two countries have deteriorated since Trudeau first made these accusations in the Canadian Parliament last year, claiming "credible allegations" of India’s involvement in Nijjar’s killing. India has strongly denied these claims, calling them “absurd” and “motivated,” and has accused Canada of harboring extremist and anti-India elements.
Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was designated a terrorist by India’s National Investigation Agency in 2020, was shot dead outside a Gurdwara in Surrey, Canada, in June last year. The diplomatic tensions escalated when Canada labelled India’s High Commissioner and other diplomats as “persons of interest” in the investigation into Nijjar’s death.
In response, India expelled six Canadian diplomats earlier this week and summoned Canada’s Charge d’Affaires, Stewart Wheeler, to convey that the targeting of Indian diplomats was unacceptable. The MEA also announced the withdrawal of India’s High Commissioner to Canada, Sanjay Kumar Verma, and other diplomats.
India has warned that it reserves the right to take further action against what it sees as the Trudeau government’s support for extremism and separatism directed against India.
India Questions Trudeau’s Motives: Is China’s Influence in Canada Being Overlooked?
Trudeau’s Stance on India: A Desperate Move to Regain Political Support?
India Rejects Canada's Allegations Against Diplomats, Citing Political Agenda