Canada rubbishes media report claiming PM Modi knew of Nijjar murder plot

The Canadian government on Friday stated there is no evidence to connect Prime Minister Narendra Modi or his top officials to any criminal activity in Canada, including the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

The clarification follows a report in a Canadian newspaper that cited an unnamed national security official, claiming the alleged plot to murder Nijjar was orchestrated by Union Home Minister Amit Shah. The report further alleged that PM Modi, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, and National Security Adviser Ajit Doval were informed about the plan.

However, the same report acknowledged that the Canadian government had “no direct evidence” to support these claims against PM Modi. In its statement, the Canadian government distanced itself from these allegations, stating there was no substantiating evidence.

“On October 14th, because of a significant and ongoing threat to public safety, the RCMP and officials took the extraordinary step of making public accusations of serious criminal activity in Canada perpetrated by agents of the government of India,” the statement read.

“The government of Canada has not stated, nor is it aware of evidence, linking Prime Minister Modi, Minister Jaishankar, or NSA Doval to the serious criminal activity within Canada,” it said. “Any suggestion to the contrary is both speculative and inaccurate.”

The clarification comes after India furiously rejected the Canadian daily’s report as “ludicrous”, calling it detrimental to diplomatic ties that have been frosty since Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau first accused India of involvement in Nijjar’s killing last year.

“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,” Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.

“Smear campaigns like this only further damage our already strained ties,” Jaiswal added.

India has consistently denied any involvement in Nijjar’s killing and dismissed the accusations as “absurd” and politically motivated, accusing Canada of harbouring pro-Khalistan extremist groups.

Ties nosedived further last month when the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) accused Indian government agents of involvement in criminal activities on Canadian soil, including murder, extortion, and intimidation. As the diplomatic rift deepened, both sides expelled top envoys in response.

Nijjar was gunned down outside a gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia, in June 2023. Earlier this year, Canadian authorities arrested and charged four Indian nationals for the murder.