Trudeau government denies linking Modi to criminal plot

Ottawa reacted after New Delhi blasted a Canadian media report linking top Indian officials to the murder of a Sikh separatist

The Canadian government has denied that it linked Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi – as well as the country’s foreign minister and national security adviser – to a criminal plot in Canada. This comes amid a tense diplomatic row between the two nations following accusations made by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau that India was involved in the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a prominent leader of the Khalistan separatist movement, which New Delhi views as a threat.

“The Government of Canada has not stated, nor is it aware of evidence, linking Prime Minister Modi, Minister Jaishankar, or NSA Doval to serious criminal activity within Canada,” according to a statement issued on Friday by Nathalie Drouin, the national security and intelligence adviser to the prime minister.

The statement came one day after New Delhi refuted a report in the Canadian outlet Globe and Mail, which cited security officials who suggested that the Indian leader was aware of the plot to murder Nijjar. The report also named top officials in Modi’s cabinet – Minister of External Affairs Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and National Security Adviser Ajit Doval – linking them to the assassination campaign.

“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 Indian Foreign Ministry said on Thursday. 

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Tensions between the two countries escalated last month when Canadian officials accused Indian diplomats of targeting Sikh activists in Canada, prompting both nations to expel six diplomats in retaliation. Trudeau alleged that the Indian government had made a “fundamental error” by supporting violent actions against individuals on Canadian soil.

Drouin previously admitted to leaking information about India’s alleged involvement in the killing of the Khalistan leader to the Washington Post. The newspaper reported that Indian Home Minister Amit Shah, a close ally of Modi, directed an assassination campaign from New Delhi. Testifying before a parliamentary panel in October alongside Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister David Morrison, Drouin confirmed that the information was leaked to the media as part of a “communication strategy” that she and Morrison developed in order to ensure that major US media outlets carried Canada’s version of the diplomatic row with India.

New Delhi has categorically rejected the Canadian government’s allegations, accusing Trudeau’s administration of orchestrating a “deliberate strategy of smearing India for political gains.” The Sikh diaspora holds significant electoral influence in Canada, although radical elements of the Khalistan movement remain a minority within this community.

The diplomatic row began in September 2023 when Trudeau accused India of involvement in the assassination of Nijjar without providing any evidence. Tensions escalated earlier this year after Ottawa claimed that Indian diplomats played a role in orchestrating Nijjar’s killing and targeted other Sikh activists residing in Canada. Following these accusations, both countries executed a series of diplomatic expulsions, including high commissioners.