New Delhi:
India rejected Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s allegation that it played a role in the June killing of a Khalistani terrorist, Hardeep Singh Nijjar describing it as “absurd” and “motivated”.
India’s reaction came after Canada expelled a senior Indian diplomat with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleging that the Indian government may have had links to the assassination of a Sikh leader in that country.
Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Monday said that his government had “credible allegations” linking Indian agents to the killing of Khalistani leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar, whom India had declared a wanted terrorist. Nijjar was killed on June 18 in Surrey.
“The involvement of any foreign government in the murder of a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil is an unacceptable violation of our sovereignty,” Mr Trudeau told an emergency session of the parliamentary opposition.
He also called “in the strongest possible terms” on the Indian government to cooperate in clearing up the matter.
Here are the LIVE updates on Canada’s action against India:
Get NDTV UpdatesTurn on notifications to receive alerts as this story develops.
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.
Similar allegations were made by the Canadian Prime Minister to our Prime Minister, and were completely rejected.
We are a democratic polity with a strong commitment to rule of law.
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 Indian government “completely rejected” the Canadian PM’s allegations and said their political figures openly expressing sympathy for “such elements” remains a matter of deep concern.
“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,” said a foreign ministry statement.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his government had “credible allegations” linking Hardeep Singh Nijjar’s killing in June last year with the “agents of the Government of India”.
Waiting for response to load…