india canada flag
– Photo : istock
Expansion
India has strongly refuted reports in the Canadian media regarding the killing of pro-Khalistan terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar and said they should be rejected as defamation. The Ministry of External Affairs stressed that such defamatory campaigns further damage the already strained relations between the two countries. External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a statement issued on Wednesday, “We generally do not comment on media reports.” However, such ridiculous statements purportedly made by a Canadian government source in a newspaper should be rejected with the contempt they deserve.
Jaiswal's statement came regarding a report by Canada-based Globe and Mail in which an attempt was made to link the death of Hardeep Nijjar, declared a terrorist by the NIA, to the Indian government.
According to a report published by The Globe and Mail, a senior Canadian national-security official has claimed that Canadian security agencies believe that PM Modi had prior knowledge of Nijjar's assassination and other violent plots in Canada. The official claimed that Canadian and American intelligence agencies have linked the murder to Home Minister Amit Shah, including National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar.
Canada could not provide proof of PM Modi's involvement
However, Canada has not been able to provide any evidence of PM Modi's alleged involvement. The official suggested that it would be hard to believe that such a significant operation involving three high-ranking officials in India would not have been discussed with PM Modi before going ahead.
Canada had accused Indian diplomats of involvement in Nijjar's murder.
Last month, the matter escalated when both countries expelled six diplomats from each other on charges related to the killing of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia last year. Canada had alleged that Indian diplomats were involved in Nijjar's murder. However, India denied these allegations and said that Canada has not been able to provide concrete evidence to support these allegations.
Related Videos
