‘India needs to take this seriously’: Trudeau on allegation of Indian plot to kill Sikh separatist

The Canadian prime minister who has been alleging India’s role in Nijjar’s assassination – which the Indian government has dismissed as "absurd" and "motivated" – also urged New Delhi to work with the Canadian government to “get to the bottom” of the case.

Trudeau on Wednesday said that Canadian authorities have been working closely with their American counterparts since August to investigate the Indian government’s alleged role in the assassination of Nijjar in British Columbia on June 18.

“The news coming out of the United States further underscores what we’ve been talking about from the very beginning, which is that India needs to take this seriously. The Indian government needs to work with us to ensure that we’re getting to the bottom of this,” The Canadian press quoted Trudeau as saying.

The remarks by Trudeau came after Nikhil Gupta, 52, was charged on Wednesday with ‘murder-for-hire’ in connection with his participation in a foiled plot to assassinate a US citizen in New York City.

The indictment unsealed on Wednesday in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York does not name the US citizen who was the target of the assassination plot. However, The Financial Times, citing unnamed sources, last week reported that US authorities thwarted a plot to assassinate banned Sikhs for Justice’s Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, and issued a warning to the Indian government over concerns it was involved in the plot.

“This is not something that anyone can take lightly. Our responsibility is to keep Canadians safe, and that’s what we’re going to continue to do,” Trudeau emphasised.

Main issue is anti-India activities in Canada: MEA

On Canada's allegations, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said on Thursday (November 30) that the main issue with Ottawa has been that of activities of anti-India elements in that country.

"In so far as Canada is concerned, we have said that they have consistently given space to anti-India extremists and violence and that is actually the heart of the issue. Our diplomatic representatives in Canada have borne the brunt of this," Bagchi said at a MEA briefing.

"We expect the government of Canada to live up to its obligations under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. We have also seen interference by Canadian diplomats in our internal affairs," he said.

“It is obviously unacceptable,” Bagchi added.

‘Canada not alone at managing such threats’

Responding to the indictment of the Indian national, Canada's Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc said Wednesday the US indictment “confirms that Canada is not alone at managing these particular threats.” “What’s important for us is the government of Canada and agencies like the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the intelligence service do everything that they can to protect Canadians, but also to hold accountable those who murdered a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil," LeBlanc said.

Reacting to the development in the US, Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly said that while she won’t comment on what’s happening in the US but said the Canadian government stands by its "credible allegations" that there was a killing of a Canadian on Canadian soil linked to Indian agents. She also urged India to engage in Canada's probe into Nijjar's murder.

"When it comes to what's happening in the US, I won't comment directly because, of course, I respect the work that the American law enforcement agencies are doing and I also respect the independence of their legal system," Joly said.

"What I can tell you though, is that we stand by our own credible allegations that there was a killing of a Canadian on Canadian soil, linking to Indian agents," she said in response to questions from journalists on Wednesday.

Joly said she had numerous conversations with her American colleagues, including Secretary of State Antony Blinken on the issue that Canada was facing with India.

"And at the same time, we call on India to engage in our own investigation, and I think it is important that they do so," she said.

(With inputs from agencies)