India on Thursday held the Justin Trudeau administration in Canada responsible for 'precipitating' the current diplomatic crisis while acknowledging the "vibrant" people-to-people ties between the two nations.
"India-Canada economic ties are very strong and vibrant. We have large Indian diaspora in Canada which is a bridge through which we maintain strong people-to-people links with Canada. We have possibly the largest cohort of international students in Canada as well," MEA spokesperson Jaiswal said in a press briefing.
"This particular [diplomatic] crisis has been precipitated by Trudeau government 's baseless allegations. This is how we see the relationship going forward," he added.
No shred of evidence shared by Canada: India
Reiterating New Delhi's long-standing claim that the allegations levelled by the Trudeau government in regards to the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Nijjar are "baseless" and made with an intention to "smear" India, Jaiswal pointed to Trudeau's recent admission that Ottawa held no "hard evidence" at the beginning to accuse Indian involvement in the killing.
In a public testimony on Wednesday, the Canadian PM admitted there was no “hard evidentiary proof” and had only intelligence when Canada alleged the involvement of Indian government agents in the killing of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar last year.
"We are very clear that since September of 2023, the Canadian government has not shared any shred of information with us. Yesterday, again, after the public inquiry, and public hearing again, issued a statement saying that Canada has given serious allegations but has so far not given any evidence to back it up...as far as the allegations are concerned, PM Trudeau's own admission, yesterday would decade the value as regards are stands," the MEA said referring to Trudeau's public testimony .
The MEA also reiterated its accusation that Ottawa was driven by a domestic political motive to tarnish New Delhi's image on the global stage. "This pattern is motivated by Canadian political motivations. Clear pattern to smear India for the reasons best known to them," he added.
'26 extradition requests made but no action so far'
When asked about the extradition requests made by India, he said 26 extradition requests were made so far, to which he claimed Canada has taken no action. The spokesperson also said that India had requested Canada to arrest members of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang but it didn't act on New Delhi's concerns.
" There are 26 extradition requests pending with Canadian side, these are over the last decade or more, along with that there are several provisional arrest requests which are also pending with Canadian side of certain criminals...we had shared security related information with the Canadian govt regarding gang members including those of Lawrence Bishnoi gang and requested them to arrest them (criminals)...so far no action has been taken by Canadian side on our request," the MEA spokesperson said.
The MEA also accused Trudeau of turning a blind eye to anti-India elements that are operating from Canadian soil. "PM Trudeau says that he believes in One India policy, but so far the actions we have requested against anti-India elements, no action has been taken," he added.
India confirms 'CC 1' no longer govt employee
The MEA also addressed questions on the ongoing investigation over alleged Indian involvement in the "foiled" attempt to kill Gurupatwant Singh Pannun.
Earlier, after the United States alluded that the former RAW officer identified as 'CC 1' allegedly involved in the failed plot to kill Khalistani separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun is “no longer an employee of the Indian government”, the MEA spokesperson confirmed the information but stayed away from addressing it further.
" He is not part of the government of India setup. Beyond that I have nothing to share," Jaiswal said.
In a press briefing on Wednesday, Matthew Miller, Spokesperson for the United States Department of State, said that the high-level Indian inquiry committee had a “productive meeting” with US government officials on Tuesday, during which both sides shared updates on their respective investigations into the Pannun case.
The US had announced the visit of the high-level Indian inquiry committee on Monday after the diplomatic blowback between New Delhi and Ottawa over Canada’s suggestion of Indian diplomats’ involvement in the Hardeep Singh Nijjar assassination case.
How did it get here?
The diplomatic row between India and Canada erupted after Trudeau accused India of orchestrating Nijjar’s killing in British Columbia in June last year. India labelled the claims as “absurd” and part of a broader political move by Trudeau.
Tensions took a different turn after Canada identified India's High Commissioner and other diplomats as "persons of interest" in the Nijjar investigation.
In response, India expelled six Canadian diplomats after summoning Charge d'Affaires Stewart Wheeler. The Indian government condemned Canada's "baseless targeting" as unacceptable and expressed concerns about the safety of its diplomats amid rising extremism. India also announced the withdrawal of High Commissioner Sanjay Kumar Verma, asserting its right to take further action against what it perceives as Canadian support for extremism.
Canada’s initial accusation, made without clear evidence, had strained an already delicate relationship, especially over the issue of Canada allowing pro-Khalistani activities on its soil. India has consistently criticised Canada for providing space for such elements, accusing them of operating with impunity.
"India-Canada economic ties are very strong and vibrant. We have large Indian diaspora in Canada which is a bridge through which we maintain strong people-to-people links with Canada. We have possibly the largest cohort of international students in Canada as well," MEA spokesperson Jaiswal said in a press briefing.
"This particular [diplomatic] crisis has been precipitated by Trudeau government 's baseless allegations. This is how we see the relationship going forward," he added.
No shred of evidence shared by Canada: India
Reiterating New Delhi's long-standing claim that the allegations levelled by the Trudeau government in regards to the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Nijjar are "baseless" and made with an intention to "smear" India, Jaiswal pointed to Trudeau's recent admission that Ottawa held no "hard evidence" at the beginning to accuse Indian involvement in the killing.
In a public testimony on Wednesday, the Canadian PM admitted there was no “hard evidentiary proof” and had only intelligence when Canada alleged the involvement of Indian government agents in the killing of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar last year.
"We are very clear that since September of 2023, the Canadian government has not shared any shred of information with us. Yesterday, again, after the public inquiry, and public hearing again, issued a statement saying that Canada has given serious allegations but has so far not given any evidence to back it up...as far as the allegations are concerned, PM Trudeau's own admission, yesterday would decade the value as regards are stands," the MEA said referring to Trudeau's public testimony .
The MEA also reiterated its accusation that Ottawa was driven by a domestic political motive to tarnish New Delhi's image on the global stage. "This pattern is motivated by Canadian political motivations. Clear pattern to smear India for the reasons best known to them," he added.
'26 extradition requests made but no action so far'
When asked about the extradition requests made by India, he said 26 extradition requests were made so far, to which he claimed Canada has taken no action. The spokesperson also said that India had requested Canada to arrest members of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang but it didn't act on New Delhi's concerns.
" There are 26 extradition requests pending with Canadian side, these are over the last decade or more, along with that there are several provisional arrest requests which are also pending with Canadian side of certain criminals...we had shared security related information with the Canadian govt regarding gang members including those of Lawrence Bishnoi gang and requested them to arrest them (criminals)...so far no action has been taken by Canadian side on our request," the MEA spokesperson said.
The MEA also accused Trudeau of turning a blind eye to anti-India elements that are operating from Canadian soil. "PM Trudeau says that he believes in One India policy, but so far the actions we have requested against anti-India elements, no action has been taken," he added.
India confirms 'CC 1' no longer govt employee
The MEA also addressed questions on the ongoing investigation over alleged Indian involvement in the "foiled" attempt to kill Gurupatwant Singh Pannun.
Earlier, after the United States alluded that the former RAW officer identified as 'CC 1' allegedly involved in the failed plot to kill Khalistani separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun is “no longer an employee of the Indian government”, the MEA spokesperson confirmed the information but stayed away from addressing it further.
" He is not part of the government of India setup. Beyond that I have nothing to share," Jaiswal said.
In a press briefing on Wednesday, Matthew Miller, Spokesperson for the United States Department of State, said that the high-level Indian inquiry committee had a “productive meeting” with US government officials on Tuesday, during which both sides shared updates on their respective investigations into the Pannun case.
The US had announced the visit of the high-level Indian inquiry committee on Monday after the diplomatic blowback between New Delhi and Ottawa over Canada’s suggestion of Indian diplomats’ involvement in the Hardeep Singh Nijjar assassination case.
How did it get here?
The diplomatic row between India and Canada erupted after Trudeau accused India of orchestrating Nijjar’s killing in British Columbia in June last year. India labelled the claims as “absurd” and part of a broader political move by Trudeau.
Tensions took a different turn after Canada identified India's High Commissioner and other diplomats as "persons of interest" in the Nijjar investigation.
In response, India expelled six Canadian diplomats after summoning Charge d'Affaires Stewart Wheeler. The Indian government condemned Canada's "baseless targeting" as unacceptable and expressed concerns about the safety of its diplomats amid rising extremism. India also announced the withdrawal of High Commissioner Sanjay Kumar Verma, asserting its right to take further action against what it perceives as Canadian support for extremism.
Canada’s initial accusation, made without clear evidence, had strained an already delicate relationship, especially over the issue of Canada allowing pro-Khalistani activities on its soil. India has consistently criticised Canada for providing space for such elements, accusing them of operating with impunity.
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