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Tag: India Canada Row

  • Nijjar Row: Recalled Indian Envoy To Canada Sanjay Verma Exposes Trudeau Government | India News

    India-Canada Row: Amid the ongoing row over the murder of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, recalled Indian envoy to Canada Sanjay Verma has made some explosive claims that reveal the Justin Trudeau government’s real intention. Verma alleged that Khalistani extremists and terrorists are ‘deep assets’ of Canada Security Intelligence Service (CSIS).

    Speaking to Canada-based CTV News, Ambassador Verma accused the Canadian government of ‘encouraging’ Khalistani extremists, an allegation repeatedly made by the Ministry of External Affairs of India. “Khalistani extremists are being encouraged all the time. This is my allegation, I also know that some of these Khalistani extremists and terrorists are deep assets of CSIS, again I am not giving any evidence,” the Ambassador said. This can be seen as a taunt to PM Trudeau who has accused India of plotting attacks on Canadian soil but did not give any proof so far.

    “We only want the Canadian regime of the day, the government of the day to understand my core concerns sincerely rather than being bedfellows with those who are trying to challenge Indian sovereignty and territorial integrity…What happens in India will be decided by Indian Citizens. These Khalistani extremists are not Indian citizens, they are Canadian citizens and no country should allow its citizens to challenge the sovereignty of another nation,” he added.

    Ambassador Verma also rejected allegations leveled by the Canadian government against him. He explained that monitoring pro-Khalistani elements in Canada is a matter of national interest, and his team gathers information through open sources. “We read the newspapers, we read their statements since we understand Punjabi, so we read their social media posts and try to infer from there,” Verma clarified.

    The Ambassador’s assertion comes days after Canada labeled the High Commissioner and five other Indian diplomats as “persons of interest” in the killing of NIA-designated terrorist Hardeep Nijjar, following which India issued a strong condemnation and recalled six diplomats including Verma.

    The ties between India and Canada soured after Trudeau alleged in the Canadian Parliament last year that he had “credible allegations” of India’s hand in the killing of Nijjar. India has denied all the allegations, calling them “absurd” and “motivated” and has accused Canada of giving space to extremist and anti-India elements in their country. (With ANI inputs)

  • ‘Sent 26 Extradition Requests…’: India Flags Canada’s Ignorance Over Action Against Lawrence Bishnoi’s Gang Members |

    India-Canada Row: Amid the strained ties with Canada, India on Thursday revealed that there are 26 extradition requests pending with the north american country since over a decade. The requests include those of some hardcore Khalistani extremists and criminals wanted by India.

    During a weekly briefing on Thursday, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that besides these requests, there are several provisional arrest requests which are also pending with the Canadian side of several criminals.  

    “There are 26 extradition requests pending with the Canadian side. These are over the last decade or more. Along with it, there are several provisional arrest requests which are also pending with the Canadian side of several criminals. Some of the notable ones, who have been charged with terror and related crimes, are Gurjeet Singh, Gurjinder Singh, Gurpreet Singh, Lakhbir Singh Landa and Arshdeep Singh Gill. We have shared the security-related information with the Canadian government,” he said.

    It is pertinent to mention that the extradition requests pending with Canada include those of Lawrence Bishnoi gang, with the Indian government requesting the Justin Trudeau government to arrest them or take due action against them as per the law.

    “We had shared some requests with the Canadian side for the arrest of those from Lawrence Bishnoi’s gang. They haven’t taken any action on our core concerns. There is a political motive also behind this,” Jaiswal said.

    “So far no action has been taken by the Canadian side on our requests. This is very serious. Also we find it very strange that the people we asked to be deported, on whom we asked action to be taken, we are being told – the RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police) is blaming the Indian side – that these people are committing crimes in Canada for which India is to be blamed. So, this is a contradiction which we don’t understand,” the MEA spokesperson further stated.

    In what has been one of the lowest points in relations between the two countries, New Delhi on Monday decided to withdraw its High Commissioner and “other targeted diplomats and officials” from Canada following Trudeau’s continued “hostility” towards India.

    The MEA had stated earlier this week that India has conveyed to Canada that it reserves the right to take further steps in response to the Trudeau Government’s support for extremism, violence and separatism against India.

    “India-Canada economic ties are robust and strong. We have a large diaspora in Canada. Our students form the largest cohort of international students in the country. Several large Canadian pension funds have invested in India and Canada remains the major beneficiary of these linkages and ties. The current crisis in the relationship has been precipitated by the Trudeau government’s baseless allegations,” asserted the MEA spokesperson on Thursday.

  • Amid India, Canada Row, Focus Shifts To Five Eyes Nations, G7 Members | Analysis |

    With India and Canada locked in a diplomatic battle, both sides are keenly watching the developments taking place related to the row. While both countries have expelled their diplomats, the matter has become serious with Canada accusing India of ‘criminal activities’. On the other hand, India has accused Canada of supporting Khalistani terrorists. India has also alleged that Canada is levelling these allegations to gain political mileage by wooing the Khalistan supporters ahead of the crucial national elections slated for next year.

    Addressing the media, Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly said that the Justin Trudeau government is discussing the issue with other nations and indicated that even sanctions against India are possible. On the other hand, India is sending a team to the United States with the latest update on the investigations related to the controversy. 

    With the diplomatic escalation in place, the focus will now be on the nations that are part of the Five Eyes and G7 nations. For the uninitiated, the Five Eyes (FVEY) nations are an intelligence alliance consisting of the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. On the other hand, the G7 nations comprise the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan. India has been gracing the G7 as a guest nation. 

    With Canada already on a diplomatic offensive and reaching out to the United Kingdom and the United States, India has also started working to turn the tide in its favour. New Zeland, a member of the FVEY, has already said that the allegations, if proven true, would be very concerning. 

    India already shares warm relations with France, Italy, Japan and the United States. As New Zealand appears to have been siding with Canada, India will have to work with nations like the United Kingdom, Australia and Germany to set things straight and not let the Canadian narrative prevail. It’s time for the Modi government to expose Canada and its support to the anti-India elements in the guise of ‘freedom of speech/expression’.

  • As India-Canada Tensions Mount Over Nijjar’s Killing, Trudeau Speaks To UK PM Starmer |

    India-Canada Diplomatic Row: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Monday amid rising tensions between Canada and India following the alleged assassination of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. This comes after, India has withdrawn some of its diplomats from Ottawa and expelled six Canadian officials from New Delhi. The action came as Canada implicated several Indian High Commissioners and diplomats in its investigation into Nijjar’s killing. New Delhi has criticized the Trudeau government, stating that it has not provided a shred of evidence to support its claims. 

    According to an official statement from the Canadian Prime Minister’s Office, Justin Trudeau discussed the recent developments, calling them a “targeted campaign against Canadian citizens by agents linked to the Government of India.” The statement also noted that the Canadian and UK leaders agreed to remain in close and regular contact as the situation unfolds. 

    Today, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke with the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Sir Keir Starmer, about the targeted campaign against Canadian citizens by agents linked to the Government of India. More on what was discussed: https://t.co/iCvXc0nYQl
    — CanadianPM (@CanadianPM) October 14, 2024

    Meanwhile, the Ministry of External Affairs while removing Indian diplomats from Ottawa said, “It was underlined that in an atmosphere of extremism and violence, the Trudeau Government’s actions endangered their safety. We have no faith in the current Canadian Government’s commitment to ensure their security. Therefore, the Government of India has decided to withdraw the High Commissioner and other targeted diplomats and officials,” the MEA asserted. 

    India-Canada Diplomatic Tensions 

    Tensions between India and Canada remain high after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told his country’s parliament last year about the “potential involvement” of Indian government agents in the killing of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. However, Trudeau’s government has yet to provide any evidence to Indian authorities to substantiate these allegations. 

    On Canada’s move to link the Indian diplomats to Nijjar case, the Ministry of External Affairs on Monday said that Prime Minister Trudeau’s hostility toward India has been evident for a long time.   

    the ministry further said, “The Government of India strongly rejects these preposterous imputations and ascribes them to the political agenda of the Trudeau Government that is centered around vote bank politics,” the MEA statement said.

    Responding to the strongly worded statement from the MEA on Monday, Canada PM Trudeau accused the Indian government of making a ‘fundamental error’ by supporting criminal activities in Canada, reported ANI.

    Trudeau, speaking at a press conference in Ottawa, underscored the significance of an upcoming meeting between the national security advisors of Canada and India, scheduled for this weekend in Singapore. 

    Canadian PM recalled his recent interaction with PM Narendra Modi by saying, “When I spoke to PM Modi at the end of last week, I highlighted how incredibly important [the] meeting between our national security advisors in Singapore this weekend was going to be. He was aware of that meeting, and I pressed upon him that the meeting needs to be taken very, very seriously,” ANI quoted Trudeau.

  • Video Emerges Of Killing Of Khalistani Terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar In Canada | world news

    A purported video has surfaced, asserting the assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, an individual marked as a terrorist by India, Canada-based CBC News reported. As per CBC the footage depicts individuals armed with weapons shooting Nijjar, categorizing the incident as a 'contract killing.' Nijjar had been labeled a terrorist by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in 2020 and was reportedly shot outside a Gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia, on the evening of June 18, 2023. The presumed intentional killing of the president of Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara. led to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleging the Indian government's participation. This accusation, denied by India, contributed in worsening of diplomatic ties between India and Canada.

    What's In The Video?

    The footage captures Nijjar departing Gurdwara's parking lot in his gray Dodge Ram pickup truck. As he nears the exit, a white sedan obstructs his path, and two individuals quickly approach, firing at Nijjar. Subsequently, they fled in a silver Toyota Camry, according to CBC News. Two eyewitnesses, engaged in a soccer game in a nearby field at the time, shared that upon hearing the gunshots, they rushed towards the source and attempted to pursue the attackers.

    Canadian Broadcast Corporation (CBC) has released alleged video footage of the killing of India designated khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar by unknown armed men last year.

    Report claims a well planned attack/ contract killing involving two vehicles and six persons pic.twitter.com/KDdNscdwcK — Megh Updates (@MeghUpdates) March 9, 2024

    A witness, Bhupinderjit Singh Sidhu, told The Fifth State that he and his friend saw those two guys running, and then he started running towards the noise. He even told his friend to chase the shooter on foot while he was trying to help Nijjar. Sidhu further explained that he tried to shake him to see if Nijjar was breathing and found that he was unconscious. While Sidhu's friend Malkit Singh said that he chased the two men until they got into the Toyota Camry, he saw three others sitting in that car.

    As per CBC News, the video has been verified by more than one source and was first obtained by The Fifth Estate. The attack that involved six men and two vehicles has been described as 'highly coordinated.'

    India-Canada Diplomatic Row

    The killing of Nijjar also ignited a significant diplomatic dispute between India and Canada. In September of the previous year, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused India of being involved in Nijjar's assassination on Canadian territory. India, however, dismissed these allegations as “absurd and motivated.”

    Meanwhile, nearly nine months after the incident, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) has not identified suspects or carried out any arrests in connection with Nijjar's death.

    The Ministry of External Affairs stated that Canada has not provided any supporting evidence for its assertions regarding the killing.

  • India Canada Row: Canada came on back foot after India’s action, Trudeau said – will continue constructive relations

    Canada came on back foot

    This statement by Canadian PM Justin Trudeau comes after a report by London’s Financial Times which claimed that India wants to send back 41 of the remaining 62 Canadian diplomats. In this context, the newspaper quoted Trudeau as saying that obviously we are going through a very challenging time with India at this time. However, he did not confirm the Financial Times report. At the same time, when asked whether his government would retaliate by asking India to remove diplomats posted in Canada, Trudeau said that his government would try to continue working with New Delhi.

  • “The doors of dialogue are still not closed…”: S Jaishankar said amid mutual tension with Canada

    Amid the India-Canada row over the murder of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has made it clear that the doors to talks with Canada are still not closed. He said that it is not that the doors are closed to see anything. A day before, amid the ongoing tension between the two countries, Canadian PM Justin Trudeau had also advocated strong relations with India. Now what the Indian Foreign Minister said is like a ray of hope for Canada.

    A few days ago, the Canadian PM had said that there was credible evidence against India in the murder case of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Canada had talked about supporting America on this matter. Now US Secretary of State Antony Blinken says that he is concerned about the allegations made by Canadian PM Justin Trudeau against India. He said that he is in close touch with Canada on this matter and has also talked to India on this issue. The US Foreign Minister said that he has also appealed to India to cooperate on this matter.

    Also read- “We told America that Canada gives shelter to extremist elements”: S Jaishankar

    ‘Canada-India should solve the matter together’

    Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that his meeting with Indian Foreign Minister S Jaishankar on Friday provided an opportunity to show that those responsible should be held accountable. He expressed hope that our friends in both Canada and India will work together to resolve this matter.

    We will consider if Canada shows evidence: Jaishankar

    On the other hand, Foreign Minister S Jaishankar said on the India-Canada dispute that he does not know whether he should use the word standoff or not. He said that the people of Canada have made some allegations against India. He bluntly told Canada that this is not the policy of the Government of India. If Canada shares any evidence with us, we are ready to look into it. Jaishankar said that until any evidence comes to light, is it right to look at an incident in isolation?

    ‘Canada is giving shelter to terrorists’

    Jaishankar said that the truth is that in the last few years there are problems between Canada and its government and India. This is related to terrorism and extremism. What Jaishankar meant was that Canada has become a country where people involved in crimes against India are taking shelter. These people are getting full space in Canada. These people are involved in violence and illegal activities in India. He is continuing his activities in Canada also and this is not hidden from anyone.

    ‘Our diplomats are being threatened’

    India’s Foreign Minister said that the most important thing is that India’s diplomatic missions and diplomatic personnel are being continuously threatened in Canada, after which India has had to temporarily suspend its visa process. Jaishankar said that it has become very difficult for us to continue the visa process in Canada.

    Also read- Manipur’s tribal leader’s speech in Canada revealed allegations of his links with Khalistan.

  • Actions of Khalistan supporters in Scotland, Indian High Commissioner stopped from going to Gurudwara

    Amidst the ongoing dispute between India and Canada, a major act of radical Khalistani supporters has come to light in Britain. British fundamentalist Khalistani supporters stopped Indian High Commissioner to Britain Vikram Doraiswami from entering a Gurudwara in Scotland today i.e. on Friday. Khalistani supporters did not even allow the Indian High Commissioner to get down from the car. It is noteworthy that Khalistani supporters are protesting in many countries regarding Najjar’s murder case. In this sequence, he stopped the Indian High Commissioner from entering the Gurudwara.

    Khalistani supporters have also attacked the Indian High Commission  
    It is noteworthy that after the murder of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada, many pro-Khalistani Sikh groups are angry. Let us tell you that for a long time, Khalistani supporters in Canada, Australia, Britain and many other countries have been agitating against the killing of Sikh Nijjar. People of the pro-Khalistani Sikh community keep carrying out other activities including attacking the Indian High Commission, insulting the tricolor etc.

    Supporters are continuously demonstrating
    For a long time, the pro-Sikh community has been protesting against India demanding Khalistan. After the murder of hardline Khalistan leader Nijjar, their movement has intensified further. They are protesting in many other countries including Canada. At the same time, after Canada’s allegations against India, the distance between India and Canada has also increased a lot. India has termed Canada’s allegations as nonsense.

    Request to cooperate in investigation
    Here, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has urged India to cooperate fully in the ongoing investigation by Canada into the murder of a Khalistani separatist. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met his American counterpart Antony Blinken here and during this both the countries stressed on continuing cooperation in the fields of defence, space and clean energy. Amid the ongoing diplomatic standoff between India and Canada over the killing of pro-Khalistan separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar, Jaishankar met the US Secretary of State here and both also discussed global development. Let us tell you, Foreign Minister S Jaishankar is on a five-day visit to America.

    Discussion on the murder of Khalistani separatist
    At the same time, Canadian allegations regarding the death of a Khalistani separatist were discussed by Foreign Minister Jaishankar during his meeting with US Secretary of State Blinken. He said that after the meeting both the delegations shared better information. Jaishankar was asked at think-tank Hudson Institute whether the issue of Canadian allegations had come up during his meeting with Blinken at the Foggy Bottom headquarters of the State Department. In response to this he said, yes, I did that. Jaishankar said that the American side shared its assessment of the entire situation and he explained to the Americans the gist of India’s concerns.

    Courtesy: Language Input

  • India Canada Row: Foreign Minister Jaishankar lashed out at Canada, cited this as the reason for the deteriorating relations between the two countries

    India Canada Row:India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday said Canada’s allegations regarding the death of a Khalistani separatist were discussed during his meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken a day earlier. He said that after the meeting both the delegations shared better information. Jaishankar was asked at think-tank Hudson Institute whether the issue of Canadian allegations had come up during his meeting with Blinken at the Foggy Bottom headquarters of the State Department. In response to this he said, yes, I did that.

    India’s concerns explained to America
    Jaishankar said that the American side shared its assessment of the entire situation and he explained to the Americans the gist of India’s concerns. He said, I think hopefully we will both come away with better information. Tension between India and Canada had increased after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s allegations regarding the possible involvement of Indian agents in the killing of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar on June 18 in British Columbia. India had declared Nijjar a terrorist in 2020.

    First privately then publicly Trudeau accused India
    India rejected the allegations as absurd and motivated and expelled a senior Canadian diplomat in retaliation for the expulsion of an Indian official in Ottawa over the matter. Jaishankar said that the Canadian Prime Minister had made some allegations first privately and then publicly. Jaishankar said, our response to him privately and publicly was that his allegation was not in accordance with our policy. If he, his government has some relevant specifics, we will look into it.

    Canadian land is being used against India
    Jaishankar said that for India, Canada has become a country where organized crime from India has got mixed with people smuggling, got mixed with separatism and violence. He acknowledged that before the Canadian Prime Minister’s comments, there had been a lot of (discussion) between India and Canada on this issue. The minister alleged that the security situation in Canada is not good. He said that Indian diplomats have been given open threats and they do not feel safe.

    Jaishankar said, I don’t think most Americans, maybe Canadians, look much different. For us, it has certainly been a country where there is a mix of organized crime, people smuggling as well as violence, terrorism from India. He said, due to this, visa operations in Canada were also forced to be temporarily suspended. So, as I said, you know, often countries look very different, depending on how you look at them, but there is a problem with Canada.

  • India a growing economic power, its role on geopolitical issues: Justin Trudeau

    India a growing economic power, its role on geopolitical issues: Justin Trudeau

    Canadian PM Justin Trudeau said, only last year we presented the Indo Pacific Strategy to India.

    New Delhi :

    Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said that we should engage with the Indian government constructively and seriously. India is a growing economic power and has a role to play in geopolitical issues. He again reiterated that a Canadian citizen has been murdered on Canadian soil and there is a strong allegation that an agent of the Indian government has committed this murder. This is something that every democratic country needs to take seriously.

    The first question asked to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is meeting the Foreign Minister of India. Have you been given any assurance by the US administration that Secretary Blinken will raise the allegations you have made regarding India’s role in Nijjar’s murder with the Indian Foreign Minister?

    In response to this, Trudeau said, yes, Americans are with us in talking to the Indian government about this. It is important that they cooperate in this investigation. A Canadian citizen has been murdered on Canadian soil and it is a strong allegation that an agent of the Indian government has committed this murder. This is something that every democratic country needs to take seriously. We are proceeding in this matter in a legal manner and very responsibly… with all our partners, including the Government of India.

    After this he repeated the same thing in French also. Obviously this was to convince his audience domestically that he stood by his word.

    “We are very keen to build closer relations with India.”

    The second question asked to Trudeau was that despite such allegations by Canada, Blinken is meeting the Foreign Minister of India, what does this reveal?

    Trudeau responded very positively that it is very important that we all engage constructively and seriously with the Indian government. India is a growing economic power and has a role to play in geopolitical issues. Only last year we presented the Indo Pacific Strategy to India. We are very keen to build closer relations with India, but at the same time, as a law-abiding country, we need to emphasize that India needs to work with Canada so that we can take action on this matter .

    Also read –

    India-Canada Row: Investigation into the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar continues, many important evidences collected

    Explainer: Why is the Canadian government in support of Khalistanis? After all, what is the compulsion of PM Justin Trudeau?