Amid escalating tensions between the two nations, India stated on Thursday that at least 26 extradition requests have been pending with Canada for over a decade.
India expressed confusion over the situation, as New Delhi was now being told that the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) was holding India responsible for crimes committed by individuals whom India had sought for deportation.
Jaiswal mentioned that India had shared security-related information with the Canadian government about gang members, including those associated with the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, and had requested their arrest.
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal. ANI
During his testimony before the public inquiry into foreign interference in electoral processes and democratic institutions, Trudeau admitted on Wednesday that while he had intelligence, there was no "hard evidentiary proof" when he accused Indian government agents of involvement in the killing of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar last year.
In response, India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) stated on Thursday that the latest development only reaffirmed New Delhi’s long-held stance that Canada has provided no evidence to support the serious allegations it made against India and its diplomats.
Jaiswal reiterated during the briefing that no evidence has been shared by Canada to date.
Relations between India and Canada have reached a new low this week after Ottawa linked India to the killing of a Sikh separatist leader in Canada.
Comment by MEA
“There are 26 extradition requests pending with the Canadian side, these are over the last decade or more, along with that there are several provisional arrest requests which are also pending with the Canadian side of certain criminals…,” said MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal during a weekly media briefing.
“So far no action has been taken by Canadian side on our request…we find it really strange that now people who we wanted to be deported or action to be taken, we are being told that, RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police) is blaming Indian side for the crimes committed by these people in Canada,” added Jaiswal.
“The current crisis (in India-Canada relationship) has been precipitated by the Trudeau government’s baseless allegations,” he said.
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