India on Wednesday dismissed a Canadian media report as a “smear campaign” that claimed that the Indian prime minister was aware of an alleged plot to assassinate Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
External affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal criticised the report, which quoted an unnamed Canadian official, labelling the claims as “ludicrous statements” deserving outright rejection.
“We do not normally comment on media reports. However, such ludicrous statements made to a newspaper purportedly by a Canadian government source should be dismissed with the contempt they deserve,” he said.
Jaiswal said that smear campaigns like this only worsen the already strained ties between India and Canada. He was addressing media queries about the report published in the Canadian newspaper The Globe and Mail.
The report, published in The Globe and Mail, cited inputs from a senior national security official and alleged that India’s national security advisor (NSA) and external affairs minister were also aware of the purported plot.
Nijjar was gunned down outside a gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia, in June 2023, and Canadian authorities arrested and charged four Indian nationals for the murder.
India has consistently stated that Canada has failed to provide any evidence supporting its allegation of Indian government involvement in Nijjar’s killing.
The Indian side has repeatedly said Canada has not provided any evidence to back up its allegation that Indian government agents were linked to the killing of Nijjar, already designated a terrorist by New Delhi.
India-Canada relations deteriorated sharply last month after Canada accused Indian High Commissioner Sanjay Verma and other diplomats of involvement in the murder.
In its response, India expelled six Canadian diplomats and withdrew its envoy after Ottawa designated the Indian ambassador and other diplomats as “persons of interest” in the investigation into the killing of pro-Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
India had also condemned Canada’s actions as “preposterous” and accused the Justin Trudeau government of pursuing a political agenda.
New Delhi expelled Canadian Charge d’Affaires Stewart Wheeler and five other diplomats following Canada’s allegations.
With PTI inputs