NEW DELHI: India on Wednesday strongly rejected Canadian media reports alleging that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was aware of a plot to kill pro-Khalistan separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada, calling the claims “ludicrous” and urging their dismissal with the “contempt they deserve.”
The Ministry of External Affairs dismissed the allegations, highlighting that such “smear campaigns” only serve to “further damage our already strained ties.”
“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. Smear campaigns like this only further damage our already strained ties,” the MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a statement.
This statement follows a report by the Canada-based Globe and Mail, which attempted to link the death of NIA-designated terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar to the Indian government.
The report cited a senior Canadian national security official alleging that Canadian security agencies assert that PM Modi had knowledge of Nijjar’s death and “other violent plots” in Canada.
The relationship between India and Canada has deteriorated significantly, with India expressing serious concerns about extremism and anti-India activities in Canada, urging Canadian authorities to take action against these activities.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has alleged Indian involvement in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada in the previous year.
India has rejected these claims calling them “absurd” and “motivated”, whilst criticising Canada for providing space to extremist and anti-India elements.
India had recently recalled six diplomats from Canada after the Canadian government identified them as “persons of interest” in the investigation into the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.