India Summons Canadian Diplomat After Ottawa Includes Indian High Commissioner in Nijjar Murder Probe
New Delhi, Oct 14, 2024: India has lodged a strong protest with Canada after the North American country included the Indian High Commissioner and other diplomats as “persons of interest” in its investigation into the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Canada’s Charge d’Affaires was summoned to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in New Delhi, where Indian officials expressed their displeasure over what they termed as a baseless and politically motivated move by the Canadian government.
The tension between India and Canada, which has been growing over recent months, has escalated further following Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s claims linking the Indian High Commissioner to the killing of Nijjar, who was shot dead outside a Sikh temple in British Columbia in June last year. Trudeau had first raised these allegations in the Canadian Parliament in September 2023, suggesting potential involvement of Indian agents in the murder. However, the Government of India has categorically denied any involvement and has repeatedly demanded that Canada provide evidence to substantiate the accusations.
In a strongly worded statement, the MEA rejected the inclusion of Indian diplomats in the probe as “preposterous imputations” and accused Trudeau’s government of pandering to vote-bank politics. “The Government of India strongly rejects these preposterous imputations and ascribes them to the political agenda of the Trudeau Government, which is centered around vote-bank politics,” the statement said.
The MEA also criticized Canada for not sharing any evidence with India, despite repeated requests. “Since Prime Minister Trudeau made these allegations in September 2023, the Canadian government has not shared a shred of evidence with the Government of India,” the MEA said.
New Delhi further accused the Trudeau administration of fostering a permissive environment for Khalistani extremists in Canada. “The Trudeau Government has consciously provided space to violent extremists and terrorists to harass, threaten, and intimidate Indian diplomats and community leaders in Canada,” the statement added. India highlighted its concern over the fast-tracking of citizenship for individuals involved in extremism and Canada’s reluctance to act on extradition requests for known criminals and terrorists.
The Indian government’s firm response comes as the Trudeau administration faces internal criticism for failing to address foreign interference in Canadian politics. India believes that Trudeau is using this issue to deflect from his domestic challenges, particularly his dependence on a political party that openly supports the separatist Khalistan movement.
The latest diplomatic row adds to an already strained relationship between the two countries. Trudeau’s 2018 visit to India had been marked by controversy after it was revealed that his delegation included individuals with ties to pro-Khalistan groups, which had soured diplomatic ties at the time. The Indian government remains firm in its stance, urging Canada to take strong action against anti-India Khalistani elements operating from Canadian soil.
India’s message is clear: without concrete evidence, such accusations will only worsen the diplomatic rift between the two nations.