‘Smear campaign’: India rejects Canada media report on Nijjar killing

India has trashed as “smear campaign” a report in a Canadian newspaper that claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was aware of the alleged plot to kill Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

Referring to the report quoting an unnamed official, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal on Wednesday (November 20) said such "ludicrous statements" should be dismissed with the contempt they deserve.

‘Ludicrous statements must be dismissed’

"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," he said.

"Smear campaigns like this only further damage our already strained ties," he said.

Claims the report made

Jaiswal was responding to media queries regarding the report in Canadian newspaper The Globe and Mail.

In the report, the newspaper cited inputs from a senior national security official.

The report claimed the Indian National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar were also in the loop of the plot.

“While Canada does not have direct evidence that Mr. Modi knew, the official said, the assessment is that it would be unthinkable that three senior political figures in India would not have discussed the targeted killings with Mr. Modi before proceeding," the report said.

Nijjar was gunned down on Canadian soil last year.

Deteriorating ties

India-Canada ties nosedived last month after Canada linked Indian High Commissioner Sanjay Verma and some other diplomats to the murder.

India has strongly rejected all the allegations made by Ottawa in connection to the case and subsequently recalled the high commissioner. The Canadian government had said the Indian diplomats were expelled from the country.

New Delhi expelled Canadian Charge d'Affaires Stewart Wheeler and five other diplomats following Canada's allegations.

(With inputs from agencies)