India rejects Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s allegations on killing of pro-Khalistan activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar

India rejects Canada's claim of murder of pro-Khalistan activist by Indian agents on Canadian soil. MEA urges Ottawa to take prompt action against anti-India elements. PM Modi and Trudeau discussed the matter during G20 summit. Canada has expelled R&AW official. India-Canada ties strained over past few months.

India on Tuesday, September 19, 2023, rejected the Canadian allegation that a prominent pro-Khalistan activist was murdered by agents of India “on the Canadian soil”.

In a tough statement, Ministry of External Affairs said such allegations as made by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau divert attention from the activities of the Khalistan operatives living in Canada and called for effective action against them. 

“Such unsubstantiated allegations see to shift the focus from Khalistani terrorists and extremists, who have been provided shelter in Canada and continue to threaten India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. The inaction of the Canadian government on this matter has been a long-standing and continuing concern,” a statement from the Ministry of External Affairs declared. The statement further acknowledged that the matter was discussed between PM Modi and Mr. Trudeau earlier. 

“Similar allegations were made by the Canadian Prime Minister to our Prime Minister, and were completely rejected,” the release stated. The official remark expressed concern for the use of Canadian soil by “anti-India elements” and urged Ottawa to “take prompt and effective legal action” targeting them. 

Earlier in an unprecedented turn of events, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused India of being behind the killing of Hardeet Singh Nijjar, a prominent figure of the Khalistan movement based in British Columbia terming the June incident an “unacceptable violation”. In a statement to the House of Commons, Mr Trudeau also informed that Canadian security agencies have investigated the June killing over the past several weeks and that he had taken up the matter with Prime Minister Modi during his visit to Delhi last week where he participated in the G20 summit. “Last week, at the G20, I brought them personally and directly to Prime Minister Modi in no uncertain terms,” said Mr. Trudeau in a statement to the House of Commons yester afternoon.

Canada has also expelled the station head of the R&AW (Indian external intelligence agency), Foreign Minister Melanie Joly has informed the Canadian parliament. “Any involvement of a foreign government in the killing of a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil is an unacceptable violation of our sovereignty. It is contrary to the fundamental rules by which free, open and democratic societies conduct themselves,” said Mr Trudeau in a remark to the House of Commons in Ottawa,”  Mr Trudeau was here to attend the G20 summit during which he also held a one on one meeting with Prime Minister Modi.

The Star, a Canadian media outlet has described the expelled R&AW official as Pavan Kumar Rai. India-Canada relation has been on a downward trajectory over the past several months which was further hit when both sides shelved trade talks after six rounds of negotiation.