Trudeau admits didn't provide hard proof against India in Nijjar killing, says only shared intel

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Wednesday admitted that he did not present concrete evidence to India on Hardeep Singh Nijjar’s killing on Canadian soil and said that he only shared intelligence before publicly accusing India of being involved in the Khalistani separatist’s assassination.

Nijjar was fatally shot in his pickup truck in June 2023 after he left the Sikh temple he led in the city of Surrey, British Columbia.

According to a India Today report, Trudeau made these remarks while testifying before the Canada’s foreign interference inquiry on Wednesday.

His testimony comes amid heightened tensions between Canada and India following Ottawa’s recent allegations against India for “promoting criminal activity on its soil.”

Trudeau, however, reiterated his claim before the committee that there is “credible evidence” indicating that Indian agents were involved in the killing of Nijjar, reported India Today.

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He also named gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, previously identified by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) as connected to Nijjar’s murder.

Trudeau said there were “clear indications” that India had violated Canadian sovereignty.

“We had clear and certainly now ever clearer indications that India had violated Canada’s sovereignty,” AFP quoted Trudeau as saying during the inquiry into alleged foreign interference.

In a press briefing on Monday night, RCMP Assistant Commissioner Brigitte Gauvin stated that Bishnoi was linked to agents of the Government of India in targeting pro-Khalistani movement members in Canada.

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Trudeau also said Canada had the opportunity to make the G20 Summit “very difficult” for India by going public with the Nijjar assassination allegations.

BREAKING: Trudeau says Canada had the opportunity to make the G20 Summit "very difficult" for India by going public with the Hardeep Nijjar assassination allegations pic.twitter.com/9MZDqZloEi

— Shashank Mattoo (@MattooShashank) October 16, 2024

The diplomatic dispute escalated when Canada designated High Commissioner Sanjay Verma and other Indian diplomats in Ottawa as “persons of interest,” accusing them of involvement in Nijjar’s killing last September.

In response, India on Monday recalled the High Commissioner and other diplomats from Canada and also expelled six Canadian diplomats from the country.

With inputs from agencies