Justin Trudeau said, “India must take this matter with the utmost seriousness.” (FILE)
Ottawa:
Canada is not trying to provoke India by suggesting its agents are linked to the killing of a Khalistani terrorist, but Ottawa wants New Delhi to handle the issue properly, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Tuesday.
“The Government of India must take this matter with utmost seriousness. We do that, we are not looking for provocation or escalation,” he told reporters. Earlier in the day, India dismissed the Canadian government’s accusations as absurd.
India today expelled a senior Canadian diplomat, responding to Trudeau’s accusation that the country played a role in the killing of a Khalistani terrorist in June. The diplomat, who has not been named, has five days to leave the country.
Canada’s prime minister said yesterday that his government had “credible allegations” linking the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar to “agents of the Government of India”. The Indian government dismissed the accusation as “absurd and motivated”.
The row is dealing a fresh blow to diplomatic ties, with New Delhi unhappy over Sikh separatist activities in Canada. It now also threatens trade ties, with talks on a proposed trade deal frozen last week.
