Tension between India and Canada: India has dismissed the allegations as “absurd and motivated”.
New Delhi:
Shortly after Canada’s prime minister accused India of being behind the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, the US said it was “deeply concerned” by the allegations.
“The US was deeply concerned by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s allegations,” National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said in an emailed statement.
“It is critical that the Canadian investigation continues and that the perpetrators are brought to justice,” Watson said.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his government had “credible allegations” linking the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar to “agents of the Government of India.”
India has dismissed the allegations as “absurd and motivated”.
“Such baseless” allegations seek to divert the focus from Khalistani terrorists and extremists, who “have taken shelter in Canada and continue to threaten India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
India also expelled a senior Canadian diplomat today, in a reciprocal move after Canada expelled a senior Indian diplomat.
“The High Commissioner of Canada to India has today been summoned and informed of the decision of the Government of India to expel a senior Canadian diplomat from India,” the ministry said.
The Canadian diplomat, who has not been named, has been asked to leave the country within five days.
Canada-based Nijjar was labeled a ‘terrorist’ by India. He was shot dead by unknown assailants near a gurdwara in Surrey in June.
The new row took already sour relations between Ottawa and New Delhi to a dramatic new low.
Tensions between the two countries flared further earlier this month at the G20 summit in Delhi, which Mr Trudeau attended.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during a meeting with his Canadian counterpart, expressed “deep concern over the continued anti-India activities of extremist elements in Canada”.
