On 21st November (local time), the Canadian government dismissed a media report that linked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, and National Security Adviser Ajit Doval to criminal activities in Canada, including the murder of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
In a statement, the National Security and Intelligence Adviser to the Canadian Prime Minister, Nathalie G. Drouin, termed the report “speculative and inaccurate.” The Indian Ministry of External Affairs had already dismissed the report, calling it a “smear campaign.”
The response came after a 19th November report in The Globe and Mail newspaper, quoting an unnamed senior national security adviser, claimed that Canadian security agencies believed PM Modi was aware of the so-called plot to kill terrorist Nijjar. The report further alleged that Canadian and American intelligence tied the assassination operations to Home Minister Amit Shah, claiming that Doval and Jaishankar were also involved.
Calling the report inaccurate in a statement issued by the Privy Council Office on 21st November, Drouin said, “On October 14, because of a significant and ongoing threat to public safety, the RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police) and officials took the extraordinary step of making public accusations of serious criminal activity in Canada perpetrated by agents of the Government of India.”
She added, “The Government of Canada has not stated, nor is it aware of, evidence linking Prime Minister Modi, Minister Jaishankar, or NSA Doval to serious criminal activity within Canada. Any suggestion to the contrary is both speculative and inaccurate.”
India refuted The Globe and Mail report
Responding to The Globe and Mail report, the MEA called it a “smear campaign” and said, “We do not normally comment on media reports. However, such ludicrous statements made to a newspaper purportedly by a Canadian government source should be dismissed with the contempt they deserve. Smear campaigns like this only further damage our already strained ties.”
Our response to queries regarding a report in Canadian media: https://t.co/1IAURpKlfT pic.twitter.com/jIPlg05JM6
— Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) November 20, 2024
On 19th November, The Globe and Mail claimed that Canadian security agencies suspected PM Modi was aware of plans linked to the murder of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia. The newspaper further added that there was no direct evidence confirming PM Modi’s involvement. It further noted that intelligence assessments implicated Home Minister Amit Shah, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar in these actions, raising concerns about India’s foreign interference in Canada.
Canada accused Indian agents, diplomats, and HM Shah of criminal activities
The statement by the Canadian government comes over a month after Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Commissioner Mike Duheme accused Indian officials, diplomats, and “agents” of criminal activities on Canadian soil. During a press conference, the RCMP claimed that India had been targeting pro-Khalistani elements in Canada and not the entire Sikh community, indirectly acknowledging that Canada has been sheltering Khalistani terrorists and pro-Khalistani elements.
Hours after the RCMP’s statement, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters that he believed India had made a “monumental mistake by choosing to use their diplomats and organised crime to attack Canadians.”
The changing tunes of Canada
The diplomatic relations between India and Canada have been strained for a while. They worsened in September 2023 when the Canadian Prime Minister accused India of involvement in the murder of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar during a statement in the Canadian Parliament. India immediately refuted the claims. However, the accusations led to the expulsion of Indian diplomats, and India retaliated by expelling Canadian diplomats. In October, India further asked around 40 Canadian diplomats to leave the country.
India also accused Canada of being a safe haven for gangsters, terrorists, and criminals, a claim supported by the fact that several wanted Indian criminals are living safely in Canada. India has requested the extradition of several wanted criminals, but Canada has bluntly refused to comply, including in the case of Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
Canada has been changing its stance repeatedly. Initially, it claimed Indian agents were involved in criminal activities. Then, when India asked for substantial evidence, Canada could not provide it. It has been over a year since Canada accused India of killing a Khalistani terrorist on Canadian soil but has yet to provide any evidence that India could follow up on or use to initiate an investigation. Furthermore, Canada has been making it difficult for Indian diplomats to perform their duties. Recently, Indian consulate was forced to cancel camps after Trudeau govt did not provide even ‘minimum security’.
In a statement, the Indian consulate stated, “Due to continued inability conveyed by security agencies to provide minimum security against heightened threats, Consulate has had to cancel some more consular camps. Most of them were not at any places of worship, including one at a Police facility.”
It further added, “Consulate is fully sensitive to the difficulties faced by close to 4,000 elderly members of the diaspora in the Greater Toronto Area- both Indian and Canadian nationals- who have been deprived of an essential consular service.”
Furthermore, Canada is expected to have general elections in October 2025. Sikh votes are crucial for Justin Trudeau to return to power. It appears that he is wooing pro-Khalistani elements by siding with them and acting against India for political gains, which is harming relations between the two countries.
