New Delhi:

In a late night post by the Ministry of External Affairs, India affirmed its stand on the massive diplomatic row with Canada. Putting the responsibility of the disastrous diplomatic fallout squarely on Justin Trudeau, the foreign ministry reiterated that “Canada has presented us with no evidence whatsoever”.

In its terse-but-sharp response to Mr Trudeau’s deposition at the Commission of Inquiry, the foreign ministry wrote in its post-midnight statement that “What we have heard today only confirms what we have been saying consistently all along – Canada has presented us (India) no evidence whatsoever in support of the serious allegations that it has chosen to level against India and Indian diplomats”

Putting the onus of the grave diplomatic situation entirely on the incumbent Prime Minister of Canada’s conduct, the statement noted that “The responsibility for the damage that this cavalier behaviour has caused to India-Canada relations lies with Prime Minister Trudeau alone.”

Our response to media queries regarding PM of Canada’s deposition at the Commission of Inquiry: https://t.co/JI4qE3YK39 pic.twitter.com/1W8mel5DJe

— Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) October 16, 2024

JUSTIN TRUDEAU’S LATEST REMARKS

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau testified before a Commission of Inquiry on Wednesday where he acknowledged and admitted that he only had intelligence-based speculation and no “hard evidentiary proof” when he alleged the involvement of Indian government agents in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar last year.

Stung by India’s sharp rebuttal to his “absurd” allegations, and less than 48 hours after New Delhi kicked out six top Canadian diplomats over their Prime Minister’s “politically motivated” behaviour, Mr Trudeau tried to hit back aggressively claiming that “The Indian government made a horrific mistake in thinking that they could interfere as aggressively as they did in the safety and sovereignty of Canada.”

Testifying before the public inquiry into foreign interference in federal electoral processes and democratic institutions, Mr Trudeau went on to allege that Indian diplomats were “collecting information on Canadians who are in disagreement” with the Government of India and allegedly “passing it to the highest levels within the Indian government and criminal organisations like the Lawrence Bishnoi gang” – another claim that neither Mr Trudeau, nor the Canadian government or authorities have any proof of.

When the same claim was made by Mr Trudeau two days ago, New Delhi had said in its statement at the time that, “The Canadian government has not shared a shred of evidence with the Government of India, despite many 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.”

WATCH | NDTV World Summit on October 21-22. Get All The Details Here.

TRUDEAU’S SUPPORT TO ‘KHALISTAN’ EXTREMISTS

India has repeatedly said that the main issue between the two countries is that of Canada, especially Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, giving space and shelter to pro-Khalistan separatists and extremists operating from Canadian soil with impunity.

Mr Trudeau has also been seen openly supporting radicals by attending separatist rallies and even sharing space with declared terrorists. Mr Trudeau has attempted to justify such actions by calling it “Canadian freedom of speech and expression”.

India has stated that the reason behind Mr Trudeau’s words and actions are “his vote bank” – extremists and radicals who are crucial for his electoral gains.

“Prime Minister Trudeau’s hostility to India has long been in evidence. In 2018, his visit to India, which was aimed at currying favour with a vote bank, rebounded to his discomfort. His Cabinet has included individuals who have openly associated with an extremist and separatist agenda regarding India. His naked interference in Indian internal politics in December 2020 showed how far he was willing to go in this regard. That his government was dependent on a political party, whose leader openly espouses a separatist ideology vis-a-vis India, only aggravated matters,” the Government of India had said in a statement.

Justin Trudeau’s latest remarks come two days after he called the Indian High Commissioner a “person of interest” in the “murder” investigation of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Nijjar. India trashed Mr Trudeau’s allegations, describing them as “preposterous imputations.”

Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was declared a terrorist by India, was shot dead outside a gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia, on June 18 last year.