New Delhi. The diplomatic row between India and Canada over the killing of Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar deepened on Tuesday with Ottawa hinting at possible sanctions against India in view of certain findings in the case and New Delhi categorically rejecting the allegations. Gave.
Canadian authorities also attempted to link the Bishnoi gang to Indian government agents in carrying out covert operations, including violent criminal activities, in Canada and claimed to have clear evidence to support the allegations. Amid increasing tension between the two countries, Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Jolie did not rule out the possibility of imposing sanctions against India and said that “all options are under consideration”.
In a related development, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke over phone with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and discussed developments related to what Canada says is a targeted campaign against Canadian citizens by agents linked to the Indian government.
India strongly rejected attempts by Canadian authorities to link Indian agents to criminal gangs in Canada. Official sources said Ottawa’s claim that it had shared evidence with New Delhi in the Nijjar case is not true.
The sources also rejected Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau’s allegations that India was involved in several activities in Canada, including carrying out covert operations targeting Canadian citizens. In a press conference, Trudeau pointed the finger at India in the Nijjar case and said that Canada will never tolerate the involvement of any foreign government in threatening and killing its citizens on its soil.
India on Monday expelled six Canadian diplomats and announced the recall of its High Commissioner from there after rejecting Canada’s allegations linking its diplomat to the investigation into the killing of Sikh extremist Nijjar.
Jolie, in response to a question at the press conference, did not rule out the possibility of further action against India.
He said, “A really important step was taken today. If you look at the options available to us, expelling diplomats is one of the most drastic steps a country can take under the Vienna Convention. Every option is being considered.” In September last year, relations between India and Canada were severely strained after Prime Minister Trudeau alleged the ‘possible’ involvement of Indian agents in the killing of Khalistani extremist Nijjar.
Nijjar was shot dead in Surrey, British Columbia in June last year. New Delhi rejected Trudeau’s allegations as ‘absurd’. The head of the country’s national police force, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), made shocking allegations in the context of India that agents of the Indian government are involved in “widespread violence, including murders, in Canada”, reports the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), Canada’s public broadcaster. ” and warned that it posed a “serious threat to the public security of the country”.
“These include secret intelligence gathering techniques, targeted and punitive treatment of South Asian Canadians, and engagement in more than a dozen threatening and violent acts, including murder,” he alleged. The Canadian Prime Minister said that his government’s efforts to work with India have yielded no results.
“So, this weekend, Canadian officials took an extraordinary step,” he said. “He met with Indian officials to share with the RCMP the evidence that led them to conclude that six agents of the Government of India were individuals involved in criminal activity.” Trudeau said, “And despite repeated requests from the Indian government, they decided not to cooperate.” Given that the Indian government is still not cooperating, my colleague Foreign Minister Mélanie Jolie had only one option.
He said, “Today (Monday) they issued deportation notices for these six persons. They will have to leave Canada. They will no longer be able to work as diplomats in Canada, nor will they be able to re-enter Canada for any reason. On the other hand, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) has alleged that the Bishnoi gang is linked to the ‘agents’ of the Indian government who are targeting the South Asian community in the country, especially ‘pro-Khalistan elements’.
Indian government sources said that the claim of Canadian officials that Canada has given authentic evidence to India in the Nijjar case is not true. The source said, “The main claim of all Canadian officials is that authentic evidence has been presented to India. His charge-in-charge Ambassador Stewart Wheelers also reiterated this in front of the press. The simple fact is that this is not true.” He said, “For a long time, Canada has been trying to make baseless allegations.” Sources also rejected RCMP efforts to link Indian agents to the Bishnoi gang.
Sources said that in the RCMP press briefing, claims were made about some people’s ties to India, but no specific information was given in any case. According to sources, there was also talk about holding people accountable, but it was not made clear who was being talked about. The sources also criticized Canada for targeting the Indian High Commissioner in Ottawa. He said it was absurd that after dealing with the High Commissioner so much over the past year, the Canadian government is now targeting him.
Meanwhile, Canada’s Minister of International Trade and Economic Development Mary Ang assured the Canadian business community that Ottawa is fully committed to supporting the well-established commercial relations between the two countries. He said, “Canada is a country founded on law and order and the protection of our citizens is our top priority. “In light of the RCMP’s statement today, we are taking additional steps to protect Canadians.”
She said, “I understand what impact today’s developments may have on Canadian citizens doing business or investing in India and the uncertainty people may feel at this time.” Mary said, “I want to reassure our entrepreneurial community that our government is fully committed to supporting the well-established commercial relationship between Canada and India.”