India-Canada impasse

A month and a half after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau caused a diplomatic furore by stating that his country was ‘actively pursuing credible allegations’ linking Indian government agents to the June murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar — who was designated as a terrorist by India in 2020 — New Delhi is still waiting for Ottawa to share evidence in support of the charges and update it about the progress made by the probe. ‘Where is the evidence? Where is the conclusion of the investigation? I would go a step further and say now the investigation has already been tainted,’ India’s High Commissioner to Canada Sanjay Kumar Verma has said in a newspaper interview. He claimed that a direction had come from ‘someone at a high level’ to say that India or Indian agents were behind the killing. Inflammatory posters bearing Verma’s name and photo had surfaced in Canada in July, seeking vengeance for his alleged role in the Nijjar case.

Expressing concern over the safety of Indian diplomats in the Maple Country, Verma has urged Canada to address the ‘core issue’ of reining in Khalistan supporters. It is laudable that amid the standoff, New Delhi has signalled its intent to de-escalate tensions by easing visa curbs on Canadians. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Saturday that there was room for diplomacy to address the India-Canada row, but he hastened to add that ‘sovereignty and sensitivity’ could not be a one-way street.

Though Canada’s allies such as the US and the UK have repeatedly asked India to cooperate in the Nijjar probe, they have been reluctant to press Ottawa to substantiate its allegations. The onus is squarely on Canada to involve India in a free, fair and transparent investigation so that unsavoury speculation can be avoided. Creating a smokescreen will only worsen bilateral ties. At the same time, Canada must ensure that there is no compromise on the security of Indian diplomats.