On September 18, Canada government expelled a top Indian diplomat after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau claimed a possible link between the Indian government and the assasination of a Khalistani terrorist, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, in June. The Indian government on the other hand has rejected such allegations and calls it ‘Absurd and Motivated’ in a statement by Ministry of External Affairs (MEA)
“We have seen and reject the statement of the Canadian Prime Minister in their Parliament, as also the statement by their Foreign Minister. Allegations of Government of India’s involvement in any act of violence in Canada are absurd and motivated…We are a democratic polity with a strong commitment to rule of law,” a statement issued by the MEA read.
“India rejects allegations by Canada,” MEA issues statement.
“We have seen and reject the statement of the Canadian Prime Minister in their Parliament, as also the statement by their Foreign Minister. Allegations of Government of India’s involvement in any act of violence in… pic.twitter.com/RmH8eFDinR
— ANI (@ANI) September 19, 2023
MEA says, “Such unsubstantiated allegations seek to shift the focus from Khalistani terrorists and extremists, who have been provided shelter in Canada and continue to threaten India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. The inaction of the Canadian Government on this matter has been a long-standing and continuing concern. That Canadian political figures have openly expressed sympathy for such elements remains a matter of deep concern. The space given in Canada to a range of illegal activities including murders, human trafficking and organised crime is not new. We reject any attempts to connect Government of India to such developments. We urge the Government of Canada to take prompt and effective legal action against all anti-India elements operating from their soil.”
The Canadian Prime Minister told Parliament that he had brought up the issue with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the G20 Summit held in New Delhi last week. He said he told Modi that any Indian government involvement would be unacceptable and that he asked for cooperation in the investigation.
The Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar was gunned down on June 18 outside a sikh cultural centre in Surrey, British Columbia.
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