Trudeau calls Canada official ‘criminal’ for linking PM, Jaishankar to Nijjar’s assassination

A report by The Globe and Mail claimed Canadian security agencies believed PM Modi, Jaishankar, and NSA Ajit Doval were aware of the violent plots.

India and Canada remain embroiled in a tense geopolitical standoff over Nijjar’s killing, with Ottawa accusing Indian government agents of involvement.(X/@JustinTrudeau)

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Friday described one of his own officials as “criminal” for alleging links between India’s top leadership and violent activities in Canada. Trudeau, speaking to the media in Brampton, was asked about reports implicating Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Foreign Minister S Jaishankar in the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Khalistani separatist leader, last year in Surrey, British Columbia.

“We have seen, unfortunately, that criminals leaking top-secret information to the media have consistently gotten those stories wrong,” Trudeau stated. “That is why we conducted a national inquiry into foreign interference, which has shown that such leaks are unreliable on top of being criminal,” he added.

Earlier, The Globe and Mail, a prominent Canadian media outlet, reported that Canadian security agencies believed Prime Minister Modi was aware of violent plots and claimed that Jaishankar and Indian National Security Adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval were also informed. However, Trudeau’s intelligence adviser quickly dismissed these allegations.

Nathalie Drouin, in a statement, clarified, “The Government of Canada has not stated, nor is it aware of evidence linking Prime Minister Modi, Minister Jaishankar, or NSA Doval to any serious criminal activity within Canada. Any suggestion to the contrary is both speculative and inaccurate.”

India and Canada remain embroiled in a tense geopolitical standoff over Nijjar’s killing, with Ottawa accusing Indian government agents of involvement. New Delhi has strongly denied the claims, labelling them as “absurd” and “motivated,” attributing the tensions to Canadian “vote-bank politics.” India has also accused Canada of harbouring Indian criminals and terrorists who threaten its national security.

Earlier this month, Canadian police detained Arshdeep Singh, also known as Arsh Dalla, a wanted Indian criminal, in connection with a shootout in Canada on October 27-28. Dalla, a close aide of the slain pro-Khalistani terrorist Nijjar, is the acting chief of the Khalistani Tiger Force, a designated terrorist organisation in India. Indian intelligence agencies accuse him of multiple crimes, including murder, targeted killings, and extortion.

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