Despite the heightened tensions, India remains open to constructive dialogue, but insists it must be based on credible evidence and free of political posturing
India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has criticized Canada for failing to act on its repeated requests to arrest members of the notorious Lawrence Bishnoi gang, hindustantimes.com reported. According to MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, despite multiple appeals, the Canadian government has not addressed New Delhi’s “core concerns.”
“We have shared specific requests with the Canadian authorities to apprehend members of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. Unfortunately, no action has been taken. There appears to be a political motive behind this inaction,” Jaiswal stated during a press briefing.
The Bishnoi gang, implicated in several high-profile crimes in India, has become a key focus in India’s diplomatic outreach to Canada. The situation took a more complicated turn after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made controversial allegations linking Indian diplomats to the killing of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Although Trudeau acknowledged that he had no definitive evidence, he claimed there were “clear indications” of India’s violation of Canadian sovereignty.
The diplomatic row has continued to escalate, with both countries expelling senior officials. Canada recently named Indian diplomats as “persons of interest” in the Nijjar case, leading India to withdraw its diplomats from Ottawa in response
The MEA swiftly rejected Trudeau’s allegations, stating that Canada has yet to provide any credible evidence. “Since September 2023, Canada has not shared a single piece of information supporting its claims. The recent public inquiry only confirms what we have been saying – there is no evidence backing these serious allegations against India and its diplomats,” Jaiswal asserted.
Moreover, the MEA dismissed Trudeau’s further accusation that Indian diplomats had been collecting intelligence on Canadians opposed to the Modi government and passing it to the Bishnoi gang. “We reject these false imputations against our diplomats,” Jaiswal added.
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