Justin Trudeau publicly alleged India to prevent it from further such acts

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has defended his statement in the House of Commons on September 18, where he mentioned "credible allegations" linking Indian agents to the killing of pro-Khalistan figure Hardeep Singh Nijjar. In an interview with the Canadian Press, Trudeau revealed that the public announcement was intended to discourage New Delhi from continuing such actions in Canada.

Trudeau emphasized the need for additional deterrence, stating, "We felt that all the quiet diplomacy and measures put in by our security services needed a further level of deterrence, perhaps of saying publicly and loudly that we know, or we have credible reasons to believe, that the Indian government was behind this." He highlighted the aim of putting a "chill" on any potential continuation of similar actions.

The Canadian leader acknowledged the vulnerability felt by many Canadians and asserted that the statement was made to address those concerns. Trudeau hinted at the forthcoming disclosure of evidence behind the allegations of the Indian connection to Nijjar's killing on June 18 in Surrey.

Responding to questions about a US federal court indictment of an Indian national for an alleged plot to kill Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) general counsel Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, Trudeau explained the differences in processes, stating, "Canada is investigating a murder, and our justice system has different processes." He assured that the investigation was unfolding.

Trudeau also accused India of launching an information war against Canada, describing the scale of misinformation and disinformation in Indian media as comical. Despite raising the Nijjar issue during a bilateral meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the G20 summit in New Delhi, Trudeau characterized the conversation as unconstructive.

India has dismissed similar requests for investigation and contends that the US provided specific inputs in the mentioned case, while Canada has not. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar highlighted the lack of equitable treatment in Parliament, emphasizing that the question does not arise when one country provides inputs and the other does not.

Trudeau's latest remarks have not elicited a response from the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi. The longstanding issue of Canada-based Khalistani separatists remains a point of contention between the two nations, with little progress achieved despite repeated discussions. The Khalistani movement, once prominent in India, has persisted in certain global pockets, notably in Canada, where fringe groups continue to advocate for an independent Sikh state. The historic Air India Flight 182 bombing in 1985, attributed to Khalistani terrorists, remains the deadliest instance of terrorism in Canada, claiming 329 lives.

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