New Delhi: In yet another significant development amid India-Canada sour ties, India on Tuesday rejected Canadian PM Justin Trudeau and RCMP allegations linking the Indian government to the killing of the Khalistani Separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
It also dismissed claims by Canadian Charge D'affaires that credible evidence has been presented to India on the same, saying 'it is simply not true', government sources said.
This comes after the Canadian Charge D'affaires, Stewart Wheeler was summoned by the Ministry of External affairs here on Monday after Canada named Indian High Commissioner Sanjay Verma as 'person of interest' in its probe into Nijjar's killing.
After the meeting, C'DA Wheeler said, "Canada has provided credible, irrefutable evidence of ties between agents of the Government of India and the murder of a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil. Now, it is time for India to live up to what it said it would do and look into all those allegations. It is in the interest of both our countries and the people of our countries to get to the bottom of this. Canada stands ready to cooperate with India."
"Canadian PM Trudeau's press conference yesterday was the 'same old Trudeau saying the same old things for the same old reasons", sources said on Tuesday.
"The central assertion from all Canadian officials is that credible evidence has been presented to India. This was also repeated by their Cd'A to the press. This is simply not true. From the very beginning, the Canadian approach has been to make vague accusations and put the burden of denial on India", sources added.
It noted that at the RCMP press briefing, assertions were made about connections of certain individuals to India. "In no case were any specifics provided. There was also talk about holding people accountable. But it was never made clear who and for what", top govt sources added.
Sources noted that it was absurd that after intensively engaging the High Commissioner over the last year, the Canadian government now chooses to target him.
India-Canada relations have deteriorated significantly following allegations made by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau regarding India's involvement in the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canadian citizen and pro-Khalistani activist.
India has denied these allegations, calling them "absurd" and has accused Canada of harboring extremists. The diplomatic fallout has led to the expulsion of diplomats from both countries and increased tensions, complicating efforts to enhance bilateral ties, particularly in trade and security cooperation.
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