Justin Trudeau, the prime minister of Canada, stated on Thursday that Canada will not make its evidence public and urged India to assist in an inquiry into the killing of a Sikh separatist leader in British Columbia.
Trudeau wants India cooperate in murder probe: Inciting a furious response from New Delhi, Trudeau stated on Monday that Ottawa had serious charges connecting Indian government officials to the death of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in June. Nijjar, 45, was a citizen of Canada.
The Sikh separatist leader’s assassination has been the subject of a months-long inquiry by the Canadian government, according to a report by CBC News on Thursday, citing sources.
Traditional allies of Canada have up to this point adopted a rather circumspect stance. Political observers claimed that this was partially due to the fact that the United States and other major players view India as a check on China’s expanding dominance.
Trudeau stated at a press conference in New York on the margins of the annual high-level United Nations General Assembly, “There is no doubt that India is a country of growing importance and a country that we need to continue to work with… and we’re not looking to provoke or cause problems.” However, we are unwavering in our support for the rule of law and in our belief that Canadians must be protected.
“Therefore, we request that the Indian government join forces with us to develop procedures for finding and establishing the truth of the matter.”
According to the CBC article, which cited Canadian sources, no Indian official has refuted the claim that there is evidence pointing to Indian government complicity in Nijjar’s killing when pressed behind closed doors. India’s Ministry of External Affairs did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment on the CBC article.
The article noted that some of the material was provided by an unnamed ally in the Five Eyes alliance and that it included contacts involving Indian officials, including Indian diplomats stationed in Canada.
“Five Eyes Network Discusses Controversial Charges with India and Canada”
The US, UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand are members of the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing network.
US national security adviser Jake Sullivan confirmed on Thursday that Washington was speaking to New Delhi about the charges made by Ottawa and that Washington was in contact with both Canada and India about them.
When asked about Trudeau’s remark concerning possible Indian involvement, Sullivan told reporters, “There’s not some special exemption you get for actions like this.” We take it seriously and it is a matter of worry for us.
When they met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the G20 this month, US President Joe Biden and numerous Five Eyes members brought up the assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, the Financial Times reported on Thursday.
The foreign ministry of India stated that Canada had not disclosed any specific information regarding the murder. India had labeled Nijjar a “terrorist” in July 2020, and he had been advocating for a Khalistani state to serve as a Sikh homeland.
When asked when Canada would reveal the evidence it had, Trudeau responded, “As a country with a robust and independent judicial system, we enable those legal processes to unfurl themselves with the highest integrity.
On Thursday, India halted the issuance of new visas to Canadians and requested that Ottawa scale back its diplomatic representation there. When questioned about these policies, Trudeau remained silent.
Separately, an Indian trade official asserted that Canadian pension funds should continue to invest in the nation.