In a startling revelation, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has admitted that his government had no concrete proof when it initially accused India of involvement in the killing of Khalistani extremist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
The confession, made on Wednesday during Trudeau’s testimony before a foreign interference inquiry, casts doubt on the allegations that have strained diplomatic relations between India and Canada.
Trudeau revealed that when Canada implicated India in Nijjar’s death last year, the accusations were based on weak intelligence rather than solid evidence.
“They [India] asked us how much do you know? Give us the evidence you have on this, and our response was: well, it’s within your security agencies. You should be looking into how much they know; you should be engaging,” Trudeau said. He clarified that at the time, Canada only had “intelligence, not hard evidentiary proof.“
India’s Ministry of External Affairs has pointed out that Trudeau’s stance has long been coloured by political considerations, referencing his controversial visit to India in 2018 and his association with figures promoting an extremist agenda.
In response to Trudeau’s recent testimony, Indian officials reaffirmed that no evidence has been provided by Canada to support the serious allegations.
“What we have heard today only confirms what we have been saying consistently all along – Canada has presented us no evidence whatsoever in support of the serious allegations that it has chosen to level against India and Indian diplomats. The responsibility for the damage that this cavalier behaviour has caused to India-Canada relations lies with Prime Minister Trudeau alone,” MEA statement read.
This diplomatic rift between the two nations erupted when Canada identified India’s High Commissioner and other diplomats as “persons of interest” in the investigation of Nijjar’s assassination. India vehemently rejected the claims, calling them “preposterous” and politically motivated. The Indian government dismissed the allegations as part of Trudeau’s political strategy and criticised Canada for a lack of evidence.
Adding complexity to the issue, Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a designated Khalistani terrorist and leader of the banned Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), claimed to have been in contact with Trudeau’s office for the past three years, regularly sharing information. These revelations have further muddied the waters in Canadian-Indian relations.
Earlier in the year, Trudeau accused India of making a “horrific mistake” by allegedly interfering in Canada’s sovereignty. He made these comments after expelling six Indian diplomats, linking them to the murder of Nijjar and suggesting that Indian agents were targeting Indian dissidents on Canadian soil. India responded by recalling its diplomats and expelling six Canadian diplomats in a tit-for-tat move.
During his testimony, Trudeau recounted how Canadian intelligence services had informed him in the summer of 2023 about potential Indian involvement in the assassination. However, he acknowledged that at the time, the Canadian government only had “real concerns” but lacked concrete evidence.
“We told them [India] we have concerns that your security agencies are involved. India’s response to our investigation was to double down on attacks against our government,” Trudeau stated.
The Canadian Prime Minister further alleged that information on Canadian critics of the Modi government was being passed to Indian authorities, leading to violent acts facilitated by criminal organisations like the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. Despite these assertions, India has consistently denied any involvement in Nijjar’s murder and accused Trudeau of harbouring hostility towards India.
As diplomatic relations between the two countries continue to deteriorate, this episode underscores the delicate balance of intelligence and evidence in international diplomacy. Trudeau’s admission, coupled with the expulsion of diplomats on both sides, leaves India and Canada navigating an increasingly strained relationship.
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