“Absurd, Motivated”: India Rejects Canada PM’s Charge – Full Statement

New Delhi:

India today rejected Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s allegation that it played a role in the killing of a Khalistani terrorist, Hardeep Singh Nijjar describing it as “absurd” and “motivated”.

India’s reaction came after Canada expelled a senior Indian diplomat with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleging that the Indian government may have had links to the assassination of a Sikh leader in that country.

Here is India’s full statement rejecting allegations by Canada:

We have seen and reject the statement of the Canadian Prime Minister in their Parliament, as also the statement by their Foreign Minister.

Allegations of Government of India’s involvement in any act of violence in Canada are absurd and motivated.

Similar allegations were made by the Canadian Prime Minister to our Prime Minister, and were completely rejected.

We are a democratic polity with a strong commitment to rule of law.

Such unsubstantiated allegations seek 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.

That Canadian political figures have openly expressed sympathy for such elements remains a matter of deep concern.

The space given in Canada to a range of illegal activities including murders, human trafficking and organised crime is not new.

We reject any attempts to connect Government of India to such developments.

We urge the Government of Canada to take prompt and effective legal action against all anti-India elements operating from their soil.

Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who headed the Khalistani Tiger Force and the Canadian arm of Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), was shot dead by unknown attackers near a gurdwara in Surrey in June. He was wanted in India for being the “mastermind” of the Khalistani Tiger Force, a designated terror group in India.