India asserted on Thursday that the ongoing diplomatic dispute with Canada stems from what it termed "baseless" allegations made by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government.
India asserted on Thursday that the ongoing diplomatic dispute with Canada stems from what it termed "baseless" allegations made by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government. The Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) emphasized that no evidence has been provided to substantiate Ottawa's serious claims against New Delhi.
During a weekly briefing, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal pointed to Trudeau's recent testimony in a public inquiry as indicative of the allegations' credibility. In his statement regarding foreign interference in federal electoral processes and democratic institutions, Trudeau admitted that he possessed only intelligence and lacked "hard evidentiary proof" when he implicated Indian government agents in the killing of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar last year.
"I would like to say that we have made our position very clear on this matter. You would have seen several press releases issued in the last two days, outlining our stance. Since September 2023, the Canadian government has not shared any shred of information with us. Yesterday, after the public inquiry and hearing, we again issued a statement saying that Canada has made serious allegations but has yet to provide any evidence to support them," Jaiswal said.
"I would refer to the comments made by the US State Department, and as far as the allegations are concerned, Prime Minister Trudeau's own admission yesterday reflects their value. As for our stance on the allegations, we firmly reject any false imputations against our diplomats," he added.
|| The Ministry of External Affairs () Weekly Media Briefing by the Official Spokesperson on :
Regarding comments made by several countries on allegations made by Canada, MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that India has made its position very clear on… pic.twitter.com/hIXpMMh68Y
Earlier today, as Trudeau testified before a Commission Inquiry, the MEA had stated that the information received only "confirms" New Delhi's ongoing position that Canada has "presented us no evidence" to support the serious allegations made against India and its diplomats.
"What we have heard today 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," MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal had said in a statement.
The ministry further added, "The responsibility for the damage that this cavalier behaviour has caused to India-Canada relations lies with Prime Minister Trudeau alone."
Earlier on Monday, India expelled six Canadian diplomats and announced the withdrawal of its high commissioner from Canada in response to Ottawa's allegations linking the envoy to the investigation into the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar. This development marks a significant escalation in the already strained diplomatic relations between India and Canada.
Ties between the two countries became increasingly fraught following Trudeau’s September allegations regarding the “potential” involvement of Indian agents in Nijjar’s death. New Delhi dismissed these charges as “absurd.”
India has consistently argued that the core issue in the bilateral relationship is Canada's tolerance of pro-Khalistan elements operating with impunity on its soil. Nijjar, who was designated a terrorist by India, was shot dead outside a gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia, on June 18 of last year.