Trudeau ‘cavalier’, presented no evidence: MEA

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), reacting to Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s claims made on Wednesday night, has said Canada presented no evidence in support of serious allegations against India and went on to term Trudeau’s behaviour as ‘cavalier’.

The MEA posted its reaction in the early hours on Thursday saying, “What we have heard (Trudeau’s statement) only confirms what we have been saying consistently all along - Canada has presented us no evidence whatsoever in support of the serious allegations that it has chosen to level against India and Indian diplomats.”

“The responsibility for the damage that this cavalier behaviour has caused to India-Canada relations lies with Prime Minister Trudeau alone,” the MEA said.

Trudeau on Wednesday while testifying before the public inquiry being conducted by the foreign interference commission in Canada accepted that in August last year --- when Canada approached the Indian Government --- New Delhi asked, “Give the evidence. To which we said its within your security agencies you should be able to get to how much they know”.

“We (then, in August last year) had intelligence, not hard evidence. We told India, let’s work together and look into your security services,” Trudeau said.

Trudeau in his testimony alleged that the Lawrence Bishnoi gang was acting at the behest of Indian Government in carrying out threatening activities, shootings and home-invasions against Canadians.

The foreign interference commission in Canada is tasked with probing any foreign interference in Canada. China is the focus in most allegations.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) had named Bishnoi ganga at press conference on Monday. And the same day Trudeau had held press conference and accused Indian Government officials of being involved in targeting of Sikhs in Canada.

New Delhi, had, rejected the claims saying ‘no credible’ evidence and ‘no specifics’ have been presented with regard to any ongoing investigation in Canada. The Ministry of External Affairs had accused the Trudeau’s Government of supporting extremism, violence and separatism against India.

Trudeau on Wewdnesday while answering questions at the commission said the RCMP went public on Monday to “disrupt a chain of activity that was resulting in ‘drive-by-shootings, home invasions, violent extortions and even murder’ among South Asian community largely among the Sikh Community but not exclusively the Sikhs”.

The Canadian PM alleged, “Indian diplomats were connecting information on people who are not in agreement with Indian Government. Then having that information sent to the highest levels in Government which was then directed to Lawrence Bishnoi Gang to carry out violence against Canadians.”

Trudeau when asked why he choose to go public last year, he said, initially the cases looked like gang related, criminal related, there was not an obvious international angle to this. But members of the South Asian community, claimed “something is likely connected to India”.