Prime Minister Justin Trudeau cannot accuse the Modi government of killing terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar without providing any evidence and then give political orders to its investigative agencies to find the alleged offenders. This is the message that India has sent to Canada.
The Indian stance was communicated to high-ranking security officials and diplomatic representatives of the Justin Trudeau administration in a third nation on Saturday due to inconsistencies between the Canadian prime minister’s accusations and the RCMP’s ongoing investigation into the terrorist’s June 18, 2023, death in Khalistan. Giving political orders to investigating agencies is illegal, as it has made evident to the Trudeau government.
The interlocutors’ meeting occurred after Prime Minister Trudeau, on October 11, almost ambushed Prime Minister Narendra Modi while he was making his way from the lounge to the dining area at the ASEAN conference. Although Trudeau stated through state media that he had a brief conversation with PM Modi, it has come to light that the Indian leader essentially advised him that it was “not the time and place” for a debate. It’s clear that PM Modi and Trudeau, who is vying for India’s support with his Khalistani vote-bank politics in anticipation of the country’s general elections in 2020, did not even shake hands. India later claimed that no meaningful discussion had occurred in a lengthy statement regarding the alleged brief exchange.
The truth is that Trudeau went out of his way to harass Prime Minister Modi in preparation for his October 16 public appearance before the investigation into foreign meddling in the federal electoral process and democratic institutions. In her appearance before the so-called Commission, Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly already declared her goal to expose the Modi government at any cost. On October 15, the Canadian Minister of Public Safety is also scheduled to testify before the Commission. Even though on September 18, 2023, Trudeau, who leads a minority government with support from pro-Khalistani NDP and Quebec parties, indicted the Modi government in Parliament for the murder of Nijjar, his government has not produced a single piece of evidence or a formal indictment to support its claims.
The Trudeau administration is pressuring the RCMP to punish India, and while the agency has stated that it is still looking into the matter, four Sikh youths have been taken into custody for what appears to be gang warfare-related killing of the terrorist. Senior Indian officials claim that the meeting of top security and diplomatic officials was arranged in a third nation because India has nothing to conceal in this case and the Trudeau administration needs to explain why India is being defamed. It is believed that Deputy Foreign Minister David Morrison and Canadian National Security Advisor Nathalie G. Drouin were present at the Saturday meeting.
As the Trudeau administration falters and is predicted to fall in February 2025 over the Finance Bill, observers in Canada predict that the pro-Khalistani PM will press the RCP and the Commission to hold India accountable for Nijjer. The Modi administration has made it clear that the only way to improve bilateral relations with India is for Canada to take demonstrable action against anti-India Khalistani activities on its territory.