Ottawa: Following India's vehement objection to a report published in the Canada-based Globe and Mail newspaper, which attempted to establish a link between the demise of NIA-designated terrorist Hardeep Nijjar and the involvement of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Canada has formally refuted the allegations.
In a statement issued by the Privy Council Office, Nathalie G Drouin, the Deputy Clerk of the Privy Council and Advisor on National Security and Intelligence to the Prime Minister, clarified, "On October 14th, in response to a significant and ongoing threat to public safety, the RCMP and officials took the extraordinary measure of publicly accusing individuals of serious criminal activities in Canada."
The statement further elaborated, "The Government of Canada has neither confirmed nor is aware of any evidence linking Prime Minister Modi, Minister Jaishankar, or NSA Doval to the criminal activities in Canada."
"Any insinuations to the contrary are speculative and inaccurate," the statement concluded.
On November 20, India vehemently disputed the reports, asserting that they should be dismissed with the "contempt they deserve." The Ministry of External Affairs underscored that such baseless allegations, purportedly made by a Canadian government source, only serve to exacerbate the already strained relations between the two countries.
"We do not typically comment on media reports. However, such preposterous claims made to a newspaper purportedly by a Canadian government source should be dismissed with the contempt they deserve. Such smear campaigns only further damage our already strained relations," stated the spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs, Randhir Jaiwal.
The relationship between India and Canada has experienced a significant downturn, with India expressing its deep concerns regarding extremism, the culture of violence, and anti-India activities in Canada, and urging Canadian authorities to take decisive action against these issues.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada has alleged that he has "credible allegations" of India's involvement in the murder of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada the previous year.
India has vehemently denied these allegations, characterizing them as absurd and motivated, and accusing Canada of providing a platform for extremist and anti-India elements within its borders.
Earlier, India recalled six diplomats from Canada following their designation as "persons of interest" by the Canadian government in the investigation into the murder of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Nijjar was killed outside the Gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia, on June 18, the previous year.
