'Smear campaign, ludicrous': India slams Canada report on Nijjar killing amid diplomatic row
India dismissed a Canadian media report linking Prime Minister Modi to the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, labeling it a smear campaign amid ongoing diplomatic tensions. The report alleged Canadian security agencies believe Modi knew of the assassination, further escalating the dispute sparked by Nijjar's death in June.
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FollowAmid a diplomatic dispute between the two nations, India on Wednesday denounced a fresh Canadian media story on the murder of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, calling it a "smear campaign." “We do not normally comment on media reports. However, such ludicrous statements made to a newspaper purportedly by a Canadian government source should be dismissed with the contempt they deserve. Smear campaigns like this only further damage our already strained ties," foreign ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in response to media queries.
In a recent article, Canada's The Globe and Mail stated that "Canadian security agencies believe Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India knew about Nijjar's killing," yet the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) did not identify the media source that published the information.
The diplomatic dispute between Canada and India is centered on Nijjar's death in June 2023. The government of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has accused India of murdering Nijjar, although it has not provided any concrete evidence. India has often denied the accusations while pointing that out.
This comes days after India, on November 2, expressed its disapproval towards remarks made in a Canadian parliamentary committee on October 29 regarding Amit Shah. Canadian deputy foreign affairs minister David Morrison, while talking to the Canadian Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security, had said that Khalistani extremists were targeted on orders of Shah. However, Morrison did not explain how Canada had verified this information.
Later, the MEA summoned a representative from the Canadian High Commission and issued a diplomatic note criticizing the statements as “absurd and unfounded".
Nijjar - the mastermind behind banned terror outfit Khalistan Tiger Force - was on Delhi's list of 'most wanted' terrorists for multiple crimes, including the murder of Hindu priest in Punjab. Anti-terror agency NIA had offered a Rs 10 lakh reward for information leading to his capture.
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