Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (heart), Minister of Public Security, Democratic Establishments and Intergovernmental Affairs Dominic LeBlanc (left) and Minister of International Affairs Melanie Joly take part in a press convention on investigative efforts associated to legal exercise violence occurring in Canada with connections to India, on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Ontario, on October 14, 2024. | Photograph credit score: AP
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stated Canada has shared with its 5 Eyes companions, the USA particularly, all data they’ve associated to allegations of involvement by Indian officers within the homicide of a Canadian citizen final 12 months.
Trudeau’s rapidly referred to as press convention got here after India on Monday (Oct. 14, 2024) expelled six Canadian diplomats and introduced the withdrawal of its excessive commissioner and different “goal” officers from Canada after strongly dismissing the allegations from Ottawa that linked the envoy to an investigation into the homicide of Sikh extremist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, in a serious disaster in already frosty ties between the 2 nations.
See: India decides to withdraw the Excessive Commissioner and different diplomats and officers from Canada
“From the start, till final summer time, we have now labored intently with our 5 Eyes companions, notably the USA, the place they’ve gone by a sample of conduct much like that of India relating to an tried extrajudicial execution,” stated the Mr. Trudeau advised reporters at a information convention in Ottawa.
“We’ll proceed to work with our allies as we uphold the rule of regulation collectively,” he stated.
The US State Division has to this point made no assertion relating to the diplomatic disaster between its two shut allies and companions.
The Ministry of Exterior Affairs (MEA), in a press release, stated India reserves the suitable to take additional measures in response to the Trudeau authorities’s help for extremism, violence and separatism in opposition to India.
India-Canada dispute over Nijjar homicide: Learn updates
Prime Minister Trudeau’s hostility in direction of India has lengthy been evident, the ministry stated.
“In 2018, his go to to India, aimed toward currying favor with a vote financial institution, sparked his unease. His cupboard has included individuals who have overtly related themselves with an extremist and separatist agenda vis-à-vis India. His meddling in Indian home politics in December 2020 demonstrated how far he was keen to go on this regard,” the MEA says.
The state of affairs is extraordinarily undesirable, Trudeau stated through the press convention. “Not solely can we not need Canadians to be subjected to violence of their communities, of their houses, however we additionally don’t wish to have these tensions in relations with India,” he stated.
“That’s the reason final week we approached the Authorities of India by our safety companies, diplomats and police companies, to hunt a approach to resolve this profound distinction…. “To guard Canadians… however to not come and destroy good relations between India and Canada,” Trudeau stated.
Sadly, India “has not chosen to work with us. “They’ve chosen to disclaim, push again and make private assaults in opposition to this authorities and query the integrity of our companies and our establishments, and we have now had to answer shield Canadians,” he stated.
“I feel India has made a monumental mistake by selecting to make use of its diplomats and arranged crime to assault Canadians, to make them really feel unsafe right here in [their] residence, and much more, to create acts of violence and even homicide. “It’s unacceptable,” Trudeau alleged.
Trudeau stated he met and spoke with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on this regard final week.
“Because the RCMP Commissioner beforehand said, they’ve clear and convincing proof that brokers of the Authorities of India have engaged and proceed to interact in actions that pose a major menace to public security, together with clandestine intelligence gathering strategies and coercive conduct. aimed toward individuals from South Asia. Canadians, and involvement in additional than a dozen violent and threatening acts, together with homicide,” he stated.
Whereas RCMP and nationwide safety officers have tried to work with India and its regulation enforcement counterparts on this matter, they’ve been repeatedly rebuffed, Trudeau stated.
“That is why this weekend, Canadian officers took a rare step. “They met with Indian officers to share proof from the RCMP that concluded that six Authorities of India brokers are individuals of curiosity in legal actions,” he alleged.
“Regardless of repeated requests to India, it has determined to not cooperate,” he stated. India dismissed these allegations and requested Canadian diplomats to depart the nation by 11:59 pm on October 19.
Printed – October 15, 2024 07:31 am IST