New Delhi (Brics24) – On Wednesday, India vehemently dismissed a Canadian media report alleging that the Indian Prime Minister was aware of an alleged plot to assassinate Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, calling it a “smear campaign.”
Responding to the report, which cited an unnamed Canadian government official, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated that such “ludicrous statements” deserved outright dismissal.
“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,” Jaiswal said, emphasizing that “smear campaigns like this only further damage our already strained ties.”
The comments came in response to an article in The Globe and Mail, a Canadian newspaper, which claimed that India’s National Security Advisor and the External Affairs Minister were allegedly involved in discussions related to the plot. Nijjar was shot and killed on Canadian soil last year.
Relations between India and Canada have worsened significantly since last month, when Canada accused Indian diplomats, including High Commissioner Sanjay Verma, of involvement in the murder. India has categorically denied these allegations and subsequently recalled its high commissioner from Ottawa.
In retaliation to Canada’s expulsion of Indian diplomats, New Delhi expelled Canadian Charge d’Affaires Stewart Wheeler and five other diplomats.
Tensions remain high, with both sides exchanging sharp rhetoric and taking reciprocal diplomatic actions, further straining their bilateral ties.
