Same old Trudeau saying the same old things: India rejects charges in Nijjar case

Hours after Canadian PM Justin Trudeau accused Indian Government officials of being involved in targeting of Sikhs in his country, New Delhi on Tuesday again rejected the claims, saying “no credible” evidence and “no specifics” had been presented with regard to any ongoing investigation in Canada.

Editorial: India-Canada spat

The Canadian authorities are in the habit of levelling vague accusations, government sources said in New Delhi. Yesterday, the Ministry of External Affairs had accused Justin Trudeau’s government of supporting extremism, violence and separatism against India. Trudeau and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) issued separate statements last night claiming the involvement of Indian Government officials in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

Brigitte Gauvin, Assistant Commissioner, RCMP, claimed that India was using members of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang to target the Sikh community and the South Asian community in Canada.

The Indian side contested claims made by Canadian officials of having provided credible evidence to India. Yesterday, Canadian charge d’affaires to India Stewart Wheeler had said his country had provided irrefutable proof of a link between agents of the Government of India and the murder of a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil. “This is simply not true. From the very beginning, Canada has been in the habit of levelling vague accusations and putting the burden of denial on India,” the sources said.

Trudeau claimed the RCMP had shared evidence and despite repeated requests to the Government of India, it decided not to cooperate. The Indian authorities said Trudeau’s press conference was the “same old Trudeau saying the same old things for the same old reasons”.

The Indian side also questioned how the Canadian side had been “intensively engaging” with Indian High Commissioner Sanjay Verma over the last year and later chose to target him. Verma was expelled by Canada yesterday. India said he, along with other diplomats, was withdrawn after a diplomatic communication from Canada on Sunday. The communication suggested that Verma and the other diplomats were “persons of interest” in a matter related to an investigation in Canada. The sources said this pertained to Nijjar’s murder and “persons of interest” meant they could be questioned.

Yesterday, the MEA had said the aspersions cast by Canada on Verma were “ludicrous”. In Canada, Commissioner of the RCMP Mike Duheme said, “The RCMP has clear and compelling evidence that agents of the Government of India have engaged in, and continue to engage in, activities that pose a significant threat to public safety.”