EAM spokesperson slams ‘cavalier’ Trudeau in Sikh separatist homicide row

The Exterior Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal slammed Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s declare on “extortion, murder and violent acts by New Delhi”. File
| Photograph Credit score: The Hindu

International Ministry spokesman Randhir Jaiswal slammed Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Thursday (October 17, 2024) as “cavalier” over his dealing with of the disastrous diplomatic fallout following the 2023 killing of a Sikh separatist in Canada.

New Delhi held agency its defiant stance in direction of Ottawa — an method in sharp distinction to its compliant angle this week in direction of the US, the place India can be accused of directing a separate assassination plot.

Canada has alleged that India organized the killing of a Sikh separatist, naturalised Canadian citizen Hardeep Singh Nijjar, murdered within the car parking zone of a Sikh temple in Vancouver in June 2023. India has referred to as the allegations “preposterous”.

Mr. Jaiswal mentioned on Thursday (October 17, 2024) that that they had not seen that proof.

“Canada has introduced us (India) no proof in any way in assist of the intense allegations that it has chosen to stage towards India and Indian diplomats,” he mentioned in a press release.

“The accountability for the injury that this cavalier behaviour has brought about to India-Canada relations lies with Prime Minister Trudeau alone.”

However Mr. Trudeau, at a parliamentary inquiry on Wednesday (October 16, 2024), mentioned Canada had “clear… indications that India had violated Canada’s sovereignty”.

Canada’s prime envoy to New Delhi, Stewart Wheeler, who India has ordered to go away by Saturday (October 19, 2024) evening, has mentioned Ottawa had offered “credible, irrefutable proof of ties between brokers of the Authorities of India and the homicide of a Canadian citizen”.

Tit-for-tat

Nijjar — who immigrated to Canada in 1997 and have become a citizen in 2015 — had advocated for a separate Sikh state, referred to as Khalistan, carved out of India.

He had been needed by Indian authorities for alleged terrorism and conspiracy to commit homicide. 4 Indian nationals have been arrested in reference to Nijjar’s homicide.

Final yr, the Authorities briefly curbed visas for Canadians and this week each international locations expelled one another’s ambassadors.

New Delhi’s response to Washington has been very totally different, with the U.S. State Division on Wednesday (October 16, 2024) saying India had informed it that an intelligence operative accused of directing an assassination plot on U.S. soil was not in authorities service.

U.S. prosecutors charged an Indian citizen final November over a foiled try in New York to kill an advocate for a separate Sikh homeland.

The indictment described an “Indian authorities worker,” who was not publicly named, as recruiting the hitman and directing the assassination plot remotely, together with by arranging the supply of $15,000 in money.

An Indian day by day, quoting an unnamed U.S. official, mentioned on Monday (October 14, 2024) that India not solely eliminated however arrested the worker on “native expenses.”

The State Division didn’t verify the arrest.