TORONTO — Even if there are “credible allegations” that the Indian government was involved in the murder of Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia just last June, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Canada is still dedicated to forging better ties with India.
At a press conference in Montreal, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stated that he believes it is “extremely important” for Canada and its allies to keep up “constructive and serious” engagement with India given its rising significance on the international scene.
India is a significant geopolitical player and a rising economic power. We are quite serious about forging closer ties with India, as we recently stated in our Indo-Pacific policy, he told reporters.
In addition, it goes without saying that India must cooperate with Canada as a nation that upholds the rule of law in order to guarantee that we have access to all relevant information.
During a meeting with his Indian counterpart in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken would reportedly bring up the allegations made public concerning India’s involvement in Nijjar’s murder, according to Trudeau.
Blinken described Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, the Indian External Affairs Minister, as a “friend and colleague” and alluded to some “very good discussions over the last weeks” that he was eager to continue.
According to Trudeau, “the Americans have been with us in talking to the Indian government about how crucial it is that they be involved in following up on the credible claims that Indian government operatives assassinated a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil.
“All democratic nations and all nations that uphold the rule of law must take this seriously. With all of our partners, including in how we approach the Government of India, we are going forward in a deliberate, responsible manner that is rooted in the rule of law, he continued.
On September 18, Trudeau addressed the charges for the first time in the House of Commons. He claimed that the Canadian security services had been actively looking into “credible allegations of a potential link” between the killing of Nijjar and representatives of the Indian government.
Additionally, he claimed that he had spoken with India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi about these issues during the G20 conference and that India’s senior intelligence and security officials had been made aware of Canada’s “deep concerns.”
The Indian government was then encouraged by Trudeau to work with Canada “to get to the bottom of this matter.”
The already strained relations between the two nations were made worse by his declaration. Following the accusations, India spread a lot of false information, including the assertions made by a former Indian official that Trudeau’s plane was loaded with cocaine during the G20 conference.