Trudeau’s allegations have led to a diplomatic standoff between India and Canada
New Delhi:
In his new comments on the diplomatic standoff with India, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said the world will become “more dangerous” for everyone “if larger countries can violate international law without consequences.”
Ties between New Delhi and Ottawa have been strained since Trudeau accused Indian agents of involvement in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Nijjar, 45, was shot dead outside a gurdwara in British Columbia, Canada, in June. He was head of the banned Khalistan Tiger Force and one of India’s most wanted terrorists. India calls the accusations ‘absurd’ and ‘motivated’.
The Canadian Prime Minister addressed the media at the launch of a national smart energy network. Responding to a question on whether the US should discuss the matter with India on behalf of Canada, he said: “From the very beginning, when we heard of credible allegations that agents of the Indian government are involved in the murder of Canadian citizens on Canadian soil we have contacted India to ask them to work with us to get to the bottom of this matter. We have also reached out to our friends and allies, such as the United States, and others to work on these truly serious violations of international law. law and sovereignty of a democracy. This is something we take very seriously. We will continue to work with all partners as law enforcement and investigative agencies continue to do their work.”
“Canada is a country that will always stand up for the rule of law, because when might begins to make right, when larger countries can violate international law without consequences, the entire world becomes more dangerous for everyone,” he added.
Asked whether Canadian MP Chandra Arya’s invitation to Indian envoy Sanjay Kumar Verma for an event was appropriate amid the diplomatic standoff, Trudeau said Canada wants to work “constructively” with India on this “very serious matter.” “We have reached out to the Indian government and partners around the world to get to the bottom of this and take it seriously. That is why we were so disappointed when India violated the Vienna Convention and arbitrarily revoked the diplomatic immunity of more than 40 Canadian diplomats in India,” he said.
“We have serious grounds to believe that agents of the Indian government may be involved in the murder of a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil. And India’s response is to throw out an entire group of Canadian diplomats by violating their rights under the Vienna Convention. That matters to countries around the world because it concerns a particular country,” the Canadian Prime Minister added.
Trudeau said Canada has tried to work “constructively” with India and will continue to do so. “This is not a battle we want to fight now, but we will always unequivocally stand up for the rule of law,” he said.
The Foreign Ministry has not yet responded to Trudeau’s latest comments.
In a strong response to Trudeau’s allegations, Minister of State Dr. S. Jaishankar said they told Ottawa that “this is not the policy of the Government of India.” “We told them that look: If you have something specific, if you have something relevant, let us know. We’re open to looking at it,” he said.
“In recent years, Canada has actually seen a lot of organized crime linked to the secessionist forces, organized crime, violence and extremism. They are all very, very deeply intertwined,” he added.
Dr. Jaishankar also expressed concern about Indian diplomats and consulates being threatened in Canada.
“We have a situation where essentially our diplomats are being threatened, our consulates have been attacked and comments are often made about ‘there is interference in our politics’. And a lot of this is often justified by saying, well, that’s how democracies work. ” he said.
