The MEA’s strong rebuke underscores India’s stance that unsubstantiated claims and media leaks should not dictate diplomatic narratives, especially when evidence is lacking
India has categorically rejected recent Canadian media reports implicating Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the murder of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, reported newindianexpress.com.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) dismissed the allegations as “ludicrous” and accused Canada of further straining already fragile diplomatic ties.
“These baseless claims, reportedly made by a Canadian government source to a newspaper, deserve outright contempt,” stated MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal on Wednesday. He condemned such reports as smear campaigns intended to harm bilateral relations.
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India has repeatedly denied any involvement in Nijjar’s death and has criticized Canada for failing to provide evidence supporting its allegations
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Instead, New Delhi has pointed to Ottawa’s inaction on extradition requests for wanted individuals residing in Canada, adding that such refusals undermine efforts to address serious legal matters
The controversy stems from a report published in Canada’s Globe and Mail, which claimed that Prime Minister Modi, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval were allegedly aware of a “targeted killing” plot. This follows earlier claims by a Canadian Parliamentarian that Home Minister Amit Shah also knew about the incident.
Nijjar, a Khalistani separatist, was killed in June last year in Surrey, British Columbia. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had accused India of being privy to the murder during a meeting with Modi at the G20 Summit in New Delhi in September. These accusations marked the beginning of a diplomatic standoff, resulting in both nations recalling their high commissioners and diplomats.
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