India Canada Diplomatic Row Live Updates: Trudeau to share latest findings alleging Indian interference in Nijjar’s killing today

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) had earlier alleged that the Bishnoi gang is connected to the agents of the Indian government, which is targeting the South Asian community specifically “pro-Khalistani elements” in the country.

From likening his rise in the world of crime to fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim to highlighting his links with pro-Khalistani elements, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has portrayed Lawrence Bishnoi as a don helming a 700-member strong criminal enterprise.

“I think that is an extremely important question and that is a question that actually we have been repeatedly asking the government of India to assist us on and to get to the bottom of the question of whether it is or could be rogue elements within the government or whether it was a more systemic, systematic endeavor for the government of India is exactly the kind of thing that for investigators here on the ground in Canada, it is somewhat removed from being able to uncover the internal machinations of the Indian government of who went wrong or who did this or who did that,” Trudeau said.

“That's why from the very beginning we have been asking for India, the Indian government to take these allegations seriously and proceed with their own investigations and work with us on figuring out exactly how these egregious violations of Canadian sovereignty actually happened,” he said. - PTI

Amid the ongoing dispute between India and Canada, Congress leader Rashid Alvi said on Thursday that the government should give a clarification regarding this as the current situation is declining our reputation in the world.

Alvi also pointed out that India has always raised its voice against terrorism but if the country's name is being highlighted in whatever happened in Canada, our respect will decrease.

"We have had good relations with Canada. The current issue has been raised by the government of Canada for some days now. Not just Canada, America and Pakistan have also raised such issues. This is unfortunate. We should have good relations with the countries of the world. Whatever has been happening with Canada, the government should give a clarification regarding it. The current situation is declining our reputation in the world. We always raise our voices against terrorism on global platforms. If our name is being highlighted in whatever is happening in Canada, then our respect will decrease in the world," Alvi said.

India on Monday (October 14) dismissed Canada’s claims that agents of the Indian government had “relied on clandestine information-gathering techniques, coercive behaviour targeting South Asian Canadians and involvement in a dozen threatening and violating acts including murder”.

This marks the latest development in a year-long row between the two countries, which began with Canada alleging Indian involvement in the assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar. In a press conference on Monday, Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Commissioner Mike Duheme also accused Indian officials of “interference into democratic processes”. Read On

Relations between India and Canada are at a nadir, amidst the row regarding India’s alleged involvement in the murder of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. India has “strongly” rejected Canada’s allegations, accusing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of engaging in “votebank” politics. Both countries have expelled six diplomats each.

The ripple effects of this diplomatic flare up can be felt by Indian students who are currently studying in Canada, or aspire to do so in the future. Over a million Indian students have received study permits for Canada since 2015, including more than 100,000 having done so in 2024 alone. Here is all you need to know.

According to data from the Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), a total of approximately 1.3 million Indian students received study permits from 2015 to 2024. Read More

India-Canada relations truly reached a low point on October 14. This is because the two countries’ public recriminations have gone beyond the realm of intelligence and diplomacy into the dangerous territory of personal political attacks. That is a stage from which attempts at restoring even a modicum of normalcy to bilateral ties becomes a difficult and long-drawn-out process even after anger and passions cool down.

India-Canada ties went into a steep decline last year when Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau informed his Parliament on September 18 that there were “credible allegations of a potential link between agents of the Government of India and the killing of a Canadian citizen, Hardeep Singh Nijjar”. India had strongly refuted Canadian allegations. It pointed to Canadian indifference and the hypocrisy in preventing its citizens from promoting violent separatism in India through their support for Khalistan. However, while the Canadian charges were grave, they had remained confined to the sphere of diplomacy. Now, they have moved into a downward political spiral, writes Indian Express columnist Vivek Katju.