“Ludicrous”: India Rubbishes Canada Media Report On PM Modi's Role In Nijjar Murder Plot

Amid continuously deteriorating ties with Canada, India’s external ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal rubbished the media reports stating that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was aware of the alleged plot to murder Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

The Globe and Mail newspaper in Canada had quoted an unnamed Canadian official as saying that Modi was aware of the plot to kill the Khalistani activist. In response to the media report, “Such ludicrous statements made to a newspaper purportedly by a Canadian government source should be dismissed with the contempt they deserve. Smear campaigns like this only further damage our already strained ties.”

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He further said that they do not comment on media reports, and such ‘ludicrous statements’ made to a newspaper by the Canadian government source should be dismissed with the contempt they deserve.

“Smear campaigns like this only further damage our already strained ties,” he added.

The Globe and Mail report said, “Canadian security agencies believe Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India knew about the killing of a Sikh separatist leader in British Columbia and other violent plots, according to a senior national-security official who worked on the intelligence assessment of New Delhi’s foreign-interference operations in Canada.”

As per the Indian Express report, the unnamed official had told the newspaper that the Canadian and American intelligence tied the assassination operations to Union Home Minister Amit Shah and National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar was also in the loop.

Khalistani extremist Hardeep Singh Nijjar was killed in Vancouver in June last year. This kickstarted a diplomatic crisis between the countries. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused the “agents” of Delhi of being involved. He claimed that “credible information” has been shared with intelligence partners, including the US.

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Canada last month has linked Indian High Commission Sanjay Varma and some other diplomats to the murder. The Canadian government had said that Indian diplomats were expelled from the country. In response to it, New Delhi also expelled Canadian Charge d’Affairs Stewart Wheeler and five other diplomats.

“I think it is obvious the Government of India made a fundamental error in thinking they could engage in supporting criminal activity against Canadians here on Canadian soil. Whether it be murders or extortion or other violent acts, it is absolutely unacceptable,” Trudeau said.