India Responds to Canadian PM Trudeau’s Allegations on Nijjar’s Death
In New Delhi, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) addressed recent comments by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau regarding the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Trudeau admitted that Canada had not provided hard evidence when accusing India of involvement in Nijjar’s death. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated that this admission confirms India’s consistent stance that no evidence has been presented to support these serious allegations.
Jaiswal criticized Trudeau’s “cavalier behaviour” for damaging India-Canada relations, emphasizing that the responsibility lies with the Canadian Prime Minister. Earlier, Trudeau testified before Canada’s foreign interference inquiry, acknowledging that Canada had only provided intelligence, not concrete evidence, to India regarding the allegations.
The diplomatic tension between the two countries began when Trudeau claimed in the Canadian Parliament that India was involved in Nijjar’s killing. India has denied these allegations, labeling them as “absurd” and “motivated,” and accused Canada of harboring extremist elements.
Nijjar, designated a terrorist by India’s National Investigation Agency in 2020, was killed outside a Gurdwara in Surrey last year. The situation escalated when Canada identified India’s High Commissioner and other diplomats as “persons of interest” in the investigation. In response, India expelled six Canadian diplomats and withdrew its High Commissioner to Canada, Sanjay Kumar Verma, citing safety concerns due to the Trudeau Government’s actions.
India has reserved the right to take further measures in response to what it perceives as Canada’s support for extremism and separatism against India.
Doubts Revealed
Canadian PM Trudeau -: Justin Trudeau is the Prime Minister of Canada, which is a country in North America. He is like the leader of Canada, similar to how India has a Prime Minister.
Nijjar’s Death -: Hardeep Singh Nijjar was a person who was involved in activities related to Khalistan, which is a movement for a separate Sikh state. He died, and there were allegations about who was responsible for his death.
Ministry of External Affairs -: The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) is a part of the Indian government that handles India’s relations with other countries. They talk to other countries and manage India’s foreign affairs.
Khalistani terrorist -: A Khalistani terrorist is someone who uses violence to try to create a separate country for Sikhs, called Khalistan. This is not supported by the Indian government.
Diplomatic row -: A diplomatic row is a disagreement or argument between two countries. In this case, it is between India and Canada.
Expulsion of diplomats -: Expulsion of diplomats means sending back the representatives of another country. It’s like asking guests to leave your house because of a disagreement.
High Commissioner -: A High Commissioner is like an ambassador, a person who represents their country in another country. India’s High Commissioner in Canada was withdrawn, meaning they were called back to India.
