New Delhi, November 21 (UITV)- India has termed the reports in the Canadian media about the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar as a “smear campaign”. The Indian Foreign Ministry has completely rejected these reports and called it a step to further deteriorate the already strained relations between India and Canada.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that usually India does not react to media reports, but this time the claims made by Canadian government sources were rejected as “ridiculous” and “baseless”. He said that the purpose of such campaigns is to defame India and it will further strain the relations between the two countries.
This statement came after a report published in a leading Canadian newspaper, Globe and Mail. The report claimed that Indian officials, including National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar, were aware of the conspiracy to kill Hardeep Singh Nijjar. The report also said that an attempt was made to establish an alleged link between Nijjar’s murder and the Indian government.
Relations between India and Canada have deteriorated rapidly in the last few months. The main reason for this is India’s objection to Khalistani militancy and anti-India activities in Canada. India has repeatedly demanded the Canadian government to take strict action against these activities. Despite this, anti-India elements remain active in Canada.
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In September 2023, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau claimed in Parliament that the Indian government was behind the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey, British Columbia on June 18 last year. India rejected these allegations and called them “absurd” and “motivated for political gain”. After this, diplomatic relations between the two countries further soured.
After Justin Trudeau’s allegations, India recalled Indian High Commissioner to Canada Sanjay Verma and other officials. Apart from this, India also ordered six Canadian diplomats to leave the country. India also accused Canada of sheltering Khalistani extremists in its country and ignoring anti-India activities.
India also clarified that Nijjar was a declared terrorist, who was declared wanted by the National Investigation Agency (NIA). Nijjar was involved in many violent incidents and terrorist activities in India.
On the other hand, Canada has maintained its tough stance against India. In an attempt to put pressure on India, Canada declared Indian diplomats as “Person of Interest” regarding the investigation of Nijjar’s murder. After this, India also suspended trade talks and other diplomatic programs with Canada.
This ongoing dispute between India and Canada has affected the economic and diplomatic relations of the two countries. Its effect is also being seen on the people of Indian origin settled in Canada.
Experts believe that the increasing tension between the two countries will not only affect bilateral relations, but it can also become a challenge for regional and global stability.
Overall, India has rejected all allegations made by Canada and called the controversy motivated by Canada’s internal politics. The Indian Foreign Ministry said that giving importance to such false campaigns is detrimental to the relations between the two countries.
