Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau testified before the country’s foreign interference commission on the case related to the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar. During his statement, PM Trudeau accused India saying that there are ‘clear indications’ that New Delhi violated Canadian sovereignty. However, the Canadian PM admitted that they only provided intelligence inputs with India and not the credible hard evidence.
” Over the course of summer I was apprised by intelligence services that govt was involved in the killing of Nijjar, there was not an obvious immediate international nexus…We told them we have real concerns that your security agencies are involved. India’s response to our investigation was to double down on attacks against our government…We told India it is not hard evidence but it is just intelligence at that point,” said Trudeau.
Trudeau told an inquiry into alleged foreign interference, “We had clear and certainly now ever clearer indications that India had violated Canada’s sovereignty.” He said that the illegal activity by Indian government representatives were against Canadians. He also claimed that there is credible evidence that agents of the Government of India were involved in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
“Canadians who are opponents of Modi govt, their information was passed to the indian govt at the highest level and then information directed through criminal organisations like the Lawrence Bishnoi gang resulted in violence against Canadians on the ground. We wanted to question Indian diplomats but they did not wave their diplomatic immunity which is why we had to ask them to leave,” said Trudeau.
Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar was killed in Canada last year by unknown men. During his statement, Canadian PM Trudeau mentioned that Lawrence Bishnoi’s gang is involved in violence in Canada. Trudeau also alleged that Indian diplomats were collecting information on Canadians & passing it to Lawrence Bishnoi Gang.
Trudeau’s statement came days after India and Canada expelled their top diplomats after serious allegations and counter-allegations. While Canada accused Indian diplomats of being ‘persons of interest’, India accused Canada of supporting pro-Khalistani elements risking India’s sovereignty. While India has rejected allegations by Canada, it has repeatedly asked the Trudeau government to provide credible hard facts. Canada is yet to provide any evidence related to the allegations.
The diplomatic fallout between India and Canada came after Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Commissioner Mike Duheme claimed they had information on certain criminal activity carried out by agents of the Indian government. Amid escalating tensions between Canada and India, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke with his United Kingdom counterpart Keir Starmer over the Hardeep Singh Nijjar case.
