NEW DELHI: India has said that Canada has not yet provided any evidence to support its allegation that Indian agents were involved in the killing of Khalistani separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia last June.
Speaking at an event at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York, external affairs minister Dr S Jaishankar said, “We have told the Canadians that this is not the Government of India’s policy. The Canadians were also told that if they had specific information, the government was open to looking at it.”
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Dr Jaishankar said India believes that Khalistani activities in Canada are “really been very permissive because of political reasons”.
Jaishankar also said that India has been sharing information with Canada about organized crime groups that operate out of Canada. “We have actually been badgering the Canadians. We have given them a lot of information about organised crime leadership, which operates out of Canada. Canada has seen a lot of organised crime, secessionist. We have given them info on organised crime, extradition requests, terrorist leaders identified,” he said.
FLASH: EAM @DrSJaishankar talks about Organised Crime that operates out of Canada, “We have actually been badgering the Canadians, we have given them a lot of information about organised crime leadership, which operates out of Canada. Canada has seen lot of organised crime,… pic.twitter.com/UlgXo1Zsek
— The New Indian (@TheNewIndian_in) September 27, 2023
Responding to a question about whether India had any information about the intelligence that led the Canadian government to make the claim of a potential link between Indian agents and Nijjar’s killing, he said: “I am not part of The Five Eyes, I am certainly not part of the FBI. So I think you are asking the wrong person.”
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The EAM said that India is prepared to look into any specific information that Canada provides about the Nijjar killing.
FLASH: On the India-Canada issue, EAM @DrSJaishankar says, “I’m not part of The Five Eyes, I’m certainly not part of the FBI. So I think you’re asking the wrong person.”
Reports: @urvashikhona pic.twitter.com/bf6mhLLtmV
— The New Indian (@TheNewIndian_in) September 27, 2023
“I have said that if somebody gives us specific or relevant information, we’re prepared to look at it. If I had, would I not be looking at it…” he said.
The diplomatic spat between India and Canada over the Nijjar killing began earlier this month, when Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that he had “deep concerns” about the allegations of Indian involvement. India has denied the allegations, calling them “absurd” and “baseless.”