India on Wednesday (November 21) strongly denounced a report in Canadian media linking the killing of pro-Khalistan terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar to Indian government. Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a statement on Wednesday that this report and similar ones in Canadian media should get all "contempt they deserve."
Jaiswal also emphasised that such 'smear campaigns' were causing 'further damage' to 'already strained ties' between India and Canada.
"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," Jaiswal said in a statement.
Souring Of Indo-Canadian Ties
India and Canada, the countries which enjoyed close political and social ties, are going through a period of strained bilateral relations.
Things soured when Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged India's 'agents' of having been involved in Nijjar murder. The pro-Khalistan was murdered in Surrey, Canada in June, 2023.
Later last year, Trudeau made allegations in a speech delivered in Canadian parliament. India has trashed all claims and asked Trudeau to provide evidence which Canada is yet to provide.
India has always maintained that successive Canadian government have not taken effective measures to contain pro-Khalistan terrorist elements in Canada.
In Nijjar case, Canada even went so far as to name six Indian diplomats including India's high commissioner in Ottawa 'persons of interest' in the murder investigation. Rejecting the allegations, India recalled all these diplomats.
