Trudeau calls Canadian official ‘criminal’ over allegations linking PM Modi, Jaishankar to Nijjar killing – World News

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in an interaction with media in Brampton called one of his own officials “criminal” for allegations of links between India’s top leadership and violence in Canada, The India Express reported. He said this on being asked about the reports linking Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Foreign Minister S Jaishankar to Hardeep Singh Nijjar’s killing.

“We have seen, unfortunately, that criminals leaking top-secret information to the media have consistently gotten those stories wrong…That is why we conducted a national inquiry into foreign interference, which has shown that such leaks are unreliable on top of being criminal,” he said.

Earlier, it was reported that Canadian security agencies believed that PM Modi had knowledge of the violent plots, claiming that Jaishankar and Indian National Security Adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval were also informed. However, Trudeau’s intelligence adviser swiftly refuted these claims.

“The Government of Canada has not stated, nor is it aware of evidence linking Prime Minister Modi, Minister Jaishankar, or NSA Doval to any serious criminal activity within Canada. Any suggestion to the contrary is both speculative and inaccurate,” Nathalie Drouin said.

India and Canada are locked in a tense geopolitical standoff over Nijjar’s killing, with Ottawa alleging involvement by Indian government agents. New Delhi has categorically rejected the accusations, calling them “absurd” and “motivated,” while attributing the discord to Canadian “vote-bank politics”. Additionally, India has accused Canada of providing a safe haven for Indian criminals and terrorists who pose a threat to its national security.