India has rejected the allegations made by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau regarding the involvement of Indian agents in the killing of Khalistani separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar. In a statement issued on Tuesday, September 19, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said, “We have seen and reject the statement of the Canadian Prime Minister in their Parliament, as also the statement by their Foreign Minister. Allegations of the Government of India's involvement in any act of violence in Canada are absurd and motivated.”
Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) chief Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was spearheading the Khalistani referendum in Canada, was shot dead by two persons on June 18 in the parking lot of Surrey's Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara. He had been declared a 'wanted terrorist' by the Indian government.
Confirming that Trudeau had raised the issue with Prime Minister Modi on his recent visit to India for the G20 summit, the MEA statement said, “Similar allegations were made by the Canadian Prime Minister to our Prime Minister, and were completely rejected.”
Addressing the Canadian Parliament, Trudeau had said, “ Any involvement of a foreign government in the killing of a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil is an unacceptable violation of our sovereignty… Canada is a rule of law country. The protection of our citizens and defence of our sovereignty are fundamental.” In response, the MEA said that India is “a democratic polity with a strong commitment to rule of law”.
The MEA statement also alleged that the statements made by the Canadian ministers were unsubstantiated and were an attempt to “shift the focus from Khalistani terrorists and extremists, who have been provided shelter in Canada and continue to threaten India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
Rejecting any attempts to connect the Government of India to the issues under discussion, the statement also said that the “inaction of the Canadian Government on this matter has been a long-standing and continuing concern.” The MEA also alleged that “Canadian political figures have openly expressed sympathy for such elements remains a matter of deep concern” and that the “space given in Canada to a range of illegal activities including murders, human trafficking and organised crime is not new.”
The MEA urged the Canadian government to “take prompt and effective legal action against all anti-India elements operating from their soil.”