Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has accused India of making a “massive mistake” that Canada could not ignore if Delhi was behind the death of a Sikh separatist leader last year on Canadian soil.
Trudeau made the comments two days after Canadian officials accused India of involvement in killings, extortion and other violence targeting Indian dissidents on Canadian soil.
After Canada made the accusations on Monday, both countries expelled senior envoys and diplomats, escalating already tense tensions.
India has rejected the allegations as “absurd” and accused Trudeau of pandering to Canada's large Sikh community for political purposes.
On Wednesday, India hit back angrily again, calling Trudeau's behavior “cavalier.”
“Canada has not presented us with any evidence to support the serious allegations it has chosen to make against India and Indian diplomats,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said at a press conference.
“Responsibility for the damage caused by this cavalier behavior to India-Canada relations lies solely with Prime Minister Trudeau.”
In his remarks before a public inquiry into foreign interference in Canadian politics, Trudeau had criticized India's response to the investigation into the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in June 2023.
According to Trudeau, he was informed of the murder later that summer and received intelligence that made it “incredibly clear” that India was involved in the murder.
He said Canada must take seriously any alleged violation of its sovereignty and the rule of international law.
Mr. Nijjar was shot and killed in Surrey, British Columbia. He was a strong supporter of the Khalistan movement, which demands a separate Sikh homeland, and publicly campaigned in support of this movement.
At the time, however, Canada's intelligence did not constitute concrete evidence, Trudeau told the inquiry.
Police have since charged four Indian nationals over Mr Nijjar's death.
Trudeau said he had hoped to handle the matter “in a responsible manner” without “blowing up” bilateral relations with a major trading partner, but Indian officials have rejected Canada's requests for help in the matter. of the investigation.
“It was clear that the Indian government's approach was to criticize us and the integrity of our democracy,” he said.
Shortly afterward, he made the allegations public, saying in September that Canada had “credible allegations” linking Indian government agents to the killing.
The Prime Minister also added more details on Wednesday to other allegations released this week by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP).
Police have taken the rare step of publicly releasing information about several ongoing investigations “due to a significant threat to public safety” in Canada.
The RCMP said Monday there had been “more than a dozen credible and imminent death threats” that were “specifically” aimed at members of the pro-Khalistan movement.
Subsequent investigations led police to uncover alleged criminal activity orchestrated by agents of the Indian government, according to the RCMP.
Trudeau said the force made the announcement in “an effort to disrupt the chain of activity that was leading to drive-by shootings, home invasions, violent extortions and even murder” in the South Asian community across the country. Canada.
India vehemently denied all allegations and maintained that Canada had not provided any evidence to support its claims.
The RCMP and national security advisers traveled to Singapore last weekend to meet with Indian officials – a meeting the RCMP say was not successful.
Following the allegations made by Canadian officials on Monday, the United Kingdom and the United States urged India to cooperate with the Canadian legal process.
On Wednesday, the British Foreign Office said in a statement that it was in contact with Ottawa “regarding the serious developments highlighted in independent investigations in Canada.”
The United Kingdom has full confidence in the Canadian justice system,” the statement added.
“The Indian government’s cooperation with the Canadian judicial process is the ideal next step.”
The United States, another close ally of Canada, said India was not cooperating with Canadian authorities as the White House had hoped.
“We have made clear that the allegations are extremely serious and must be taken seriously and we want to see the Indian government cooperate with Canada in its investigation,” spokesman Matthew Miller said Tuesday at a press briefing from the US Department of State.
“Clearly, they didn’t choose that path.”
Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly said Ottawa was in close contact with the Five Eyes intelligence alliance – comprising the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand – on this question.
