Worked closely with US, other Five Eyes allies, on Canadian citizen's killing probe: Trudeau

Moments after India expelled Canadian diplomats and announced withdrawing its high commissioner as well as other “targeted” officials from Canada, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau hurriedly convened a press conference where he claimed to have shared with its Five Eyes partners, the United Stated in particular, all information related to the allegations of the involvement of Indian officials in the 2023 killing Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

“From the beginning, as of last summer, we have worked closely with our Five Eyes partners, particularly with the United States, where they have gone through a similar pattern of behaviour from India in regards to an attempted extrajudicial killing,” Trudeau said.  

The Canadian PM went on to say that his government will continue to work with its allies as it stands up together for the rule of law.

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‘No faith in Trudeau-led Canadian govt’ 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led India government on Monday (October 14) has decided to withdraw the High Commissioner Sajay Kumar Verma and other “targeted diplomats and officials” from Canada. Later, it expelled six Canadian diplomats.

The Ministry of External Affairs said that the Indian government has “no faith in the current Canadian Government’s commitment to ensure their security” and therefore, it has decided to withdraw the High Commissioner and other targeted diplomats and officials.

The MEA further states that New Delhi reserves the right to take further steps in response to the Trudeau government’s support for extremism, violence and separatism against India.

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Embattled Trudeau fuels India-Canada tension further over Nijjar killing as countries expel diplomats

PM Trudeau’s hostility to India has long been in evidence, the ministry said.

In a statement on Monday, the MEA said Trudeau’s 2018 visit to India, which was aimed at currying favour with a vote bank, rebounded to his discomfort.  

“Trudeau’s cabinet has included individuals who have openly associated with an extremist and separatist agenda regarding India. His interference in Indian internal politics in December 2020 showed how far he was willing to go in this regard,” the MEA further said.

Trudeau claims India ‘chose not to work with Canada’

The situation is extremely undesirable, Trudeau said during the press conference. “Not only do we not want Canadians to be subjected to violence in their communities, in their homes, but we also do not want to have these tensions in relations with India,” he said.

“That is why last week, we approached the Government of India through our security agencies, diplomats and police agencies, to look for a way to resolve this deep difference…. to protect Canadians… but not to come and destroy the good relations or the relations between India and Canada,” Trudeau said.

Unfortunately, India has “not chosen to work with us. They have chosen to deny, repel and to make personal attacks against this government and question the integrity of our agencies and our institutions, and we have had to respond to protect Canadians”, he claimed.

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“I believe that India has made a monumental mistake by choosing to use their diplomats and organised crime to attack Canadians, to make them feel unsafe here at (their) home, and even more, to create acts of violence and even murder. It’s unacceptable,” Trudeau alleged.

The Canadian PM also said that he met and spoke with Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding this last week.

“As the RCMP Commissioner stated earlier, they have clear and compelling evidence that agents of the Government of India have engaged in and continue to engage in activities that pose a significant threat to public safety, including clandestine information gathering techniques, coercive behaviour targeting South Asian Canadians, and involvement in over a dozen threatening and violent acts, including murder,” Trudeau said.

“While attempts have been made by the RCMP and national security officials to work with India and their law enforcement counterparts on this matter, they have been repeatedly refused,” Trudeau claimed.

“This is why, this weekend, Canadian officials took an extraordinary step. They met with Indian officials to share RCMP evidence which concluded six agents of the Government of India are persons of interest in criminal activities,” the Canadian PM alleged.

“Despite repeated requests to India, It has decided not to cooperate,” Trudeau claimed.  

New Delhi has dismissed all the allegations made by Trudeau-led government and has asked the Canadian diplomats to leave the country by or before 11:59 pm on October 19.

With inputs from PTI.