The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Wednesday strongly dismissed a Canadian report wherein the country’s official alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was aware of a plot to kill pro-Khalistan separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada. Calling the claims “ludicrous,” the MEA said such assertions further damage the already strained diplomatic ties between India and Canada.
“We do not normally comment on media reports. However, such ludicrous statements made to a newspaper purportedly by a Canadian government source should be dismissed with the contempt they deserve. Smear campaigns like this only further damage our already strained ties,” said Randhir Jaiswal, the MEA Official Spokesperson.
Our response to queries regarding a report in Canadian media: https://t.co/1IAURpKlfT pic.twitter.com/jIPlg05JM6
— Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) November 20, 2024
The Globe and Mail report, citing unnamed Canadian officials, claimed that Canadian and American intelligence agencies tied Nijjar’s killing to Indian Home Minister Amit Shah. It also alleged that senior officials, including National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, were part of the discussion. The report stated, “While Canada does not have direct evidence that Mr. Modi knew, the assessment is that it would be unthinkable that three senior political figures in India would not have discussed the targeted killings with Mr. Modi before proceeding.”
India-Canada Diplomatic Tensions Over Nijjar Murder Case
In October, India’s High Commissioner to Canada, Sanjay Kumar Verma, who was withdrawn amidst the diplomatic fallout, emphasised the lack of credible evidence provided by Canada. Speaking to CTV, Verma said, “We needed to see some evidence on the basis of which we can converse with our Canadian counterparts. Unfortunately, not a shred of evidence has been shared with us. Any evidence which is shared has to be legally acceptable.”
Verma dismissed allegations by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) as “pre-planned” and “politically motivated.” He added that no actionable evidence was shared to substantiate the claims against Indian officials.
The controversy deepened after Canadian Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister David Morrison told a parliamentary committee that Home Minister Amit Shah had allegedly “ordered a campaign of violence, intimidation, and intelligence-gathering” targeting Sikh separatists in Canada. Morrison confirmed Shah’s name to The Washington Post, which first reported these allegations.
India had earlier recalled six diplomats, including Verma, and expelled Canadian diplomats in retaliation for what it termed “preposterous” accusations. The MEA reiterated that Canada had not provided any credible evidence linking Indian officials to Nijjar’s murder, which it attributed to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s “vote bank politics.” “There is a deliberate strategy of smearing India for political gains,” read a statement from the MEA.
The allegations have further strained relations between the two countries, with India stressing that Canada failed to act against separatist elements operating on its soil while Ottawa continues to implicate New Delhi in the Hardeep Singh Nijjar case.
