The Canadian government has denied a report linking Prime Minister Narendra Modi, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval to criminal activities in Canada. The report, published by Canada’s ‘Globe and Mail’ newspaper, claimed that PM Modi was aware of a plot to kill Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Vancouver. However, Nathalie G Drouin, the national security and intelligence advisor to Justin Trudeau, stated that the Canadian government is not aware of any evidence connecting the Indian officials to criminal activity in Canada.
The Indian government responded to these claims by calling them a “smear campaign”. External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated that such statements made by unnamed Canadian officials should be dismissed and that smear campaigns only damage the already strained ties between the two countries.
The Canadian government’s denial of the report comes after the RCMP and officials in Canada made public accusations of serious criminal activity in the country perpetrated by agents of the Indian government. Despite the claims made by the Canadian media house, the Government of Canada has not linked Prime Minister Modi, Minister Jaishankar, or NSA Doval to the reported criminal activity.
The statement by Nathalie G Drouin emphasized that the Canadian government is neither aware of any evidence nor has it stated the involvement of the Indian officials in the alleged criminal activities within Canada. The denial underscores the importance of maintaining diplomatic relations between Canada and India amidst the controversy.
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