India firmly rejected a report in Canadian media that suggested Prime Minister Narendra Modi, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, and National Security Adviser Ajit Doval were aware of a purported plan to assassinate Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) dismissed the report by the Canadian media outlet, The Globe and Mail, which cited an unnamed Canadian official making the claim,, , “… such ludicrous statements made to a newspaper purportedly by a Canadian government source should be dismissed with the contempt they deserve."
Prime Minister Narendra Modi with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. Source: ANI | FILE.
“Smear campaigns like this only further damage our already strained ties,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal further said.
Key Insights from The Globe & Mail's Report on Canada
On Wednesday, The Globe and Mail published a news article citing a senior Canadian security official who stated that, “Canadian security agencies believe Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India knew about the killing of a Sikh separatist leader in British Columbia and other violent plots.”
The report stated that the national security official was involved in assessing intelligence regarding New Delhi’s foreign interference activities in Canada.
“Canadian and American intelligence tied the assassination operations to Home Affairs Minister Amit Shah. Also in the loop, the official said, was Modi’s trusted national-security adviser Ajit Doval and External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar,” the official was quoted as saying by the Canadian news outlet.
"Canada Lacks Direct Evidence"
“While Canada does not have direct evidence that Modi knew, the official said the assessment is that it would be unthinkable that three senior political figures in India would not have discussed the targeted killings with Modi before proceeding,” The Globe and Mail claimed.
Assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar
Nijjar was shot and killed on June 18, 2023, outside a gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia. Four Indian nationals have been arrested and charged by Canadian authorities in connection with the murder.
In the previous year, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau publicly accused India of being allegedly involved in Nijjar’s death, despite not presenting any "hard evidentiary proof."
India has vehemently rejected Trudeau's accusations, labeling them as "absurd" and "motivated."
The Indian government has also raised ongoing concerns about extremism and anti-India activities in Canada, urging Ottawa to take appropriate action.
Diplomatic Tensions Between India and Canada
The diplomatic relations between India and Canada reached a new low in October this year after Ottawa accused Indian High Commissioner Sanjay Verma and other diplomats of being involved in a murder.
In retaliation, India expelled six Canadian diplomats and recalled its envoy after Canada labeled the Indian ambassador and other diplomats as "persons of interest" in the investigation into the killing of NIA-designated terrorist Nijjar.
Furthermore, India expelled Canadian Charge d'Affaires Stewart Wheeler and five other diplomats in response to Canada's allegations.
India condemned Canada's actions as "preposterous" and accused the Trudeau administration of advancing a political agenda.
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