Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau attends the public inquiry into foreign interference in Ottawa. (IMAGE: CPAC)
Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau said he had information but no hard evidence about the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau admitted Wednesday that he had not provided India with concrete evidence of the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar on Canadian soil as he testified before the public inquiry into foreign interference in federal electoral processes and democratic institutions in Ottawa.
Justin Trudeau admits he did not provide India with real evidence of Hardeep Singh Nijjar's murder. Trudeau says Canada provided only intelligence and no evidence before publicly accusing India of killing the Khalistani terrorist. pic.twitter.com/uhC7alsz2K
— Suraj Balakrishnan (@SurajBala) October 16, 2024
“And at that point it was primarily about intelligence, not hard evidence,” Trudeau said, referring to allegations he had made against India that “Indian agents” were linked to the killing of Nijjar outside a gurdwara in the country Canadian Surrey.
Trudeau claimed he had “credible evidence” that India played a role in Nijjar's killing. He also said he had asked Indian intelligence to look into the matter later, saying it was initially believed to be a “gang-related” issue.
“Some South Asian MPs insisted there was probably a connection to India,” Trudeau said. He did not name who these deputies were.
Trudeau also claimed that the Lawrence Bishnoi crime syndicate was also involved.
“Canadians who are opponents of the Modi government, their information was passed on to the Indian government at the highest levels and then passed on to criminal organizations like the Lawrence Bishnoi gang (leading to violence against Canadians on the ground),” Trudeau said.
At the Foreign Interference Commission, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says: “Canadians who are opponents of the Modi government, their information was passed on to the Indian government at the highest levels and then passed on to criminal organizations like the Lawrence Bishnoi gang… pic.twitter .com.” /8UfKdunEg8 — ANI (@ANI) October 16, 2024
The Canadian prime minister said Canadian intelligence officials had told Indian officials that there were “concerns” that Indian officials may have been involved in the July-August period of 2023.
India-Canada relations came under severe strain after Trudeau alleged “potential” involvement of Indian agents in the killing of Nijjar in September last year. New Delhi dismissed Trudeau's allegations as “absurd.”
On Monday, India expelled six Canadian diplomats and announced the withdrawal of its high commissioner from Canada after denying Ottawa's allegations that it linked the envoy to an investigation into Nijjar's killing.
India, for its part, strongly opposed attempts by Canadian authorities to link Indian agents to criminal gangs in Canada. Official sources even said Ottawa's claim that it shared evidence with New Delhi in the Nijjar case was simple
Shankhyaneel SarkarShankhyaneel Sarkar is a senior editor at News18. He covers international affairs, focusing on breaking news and in-depth analysis. He has o…Read more