Ottawa : Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Thursday said they are looking to work constructively with the Indian government in the probe into the killing of designated terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
According to Canada-based Cable Public Affairs Channel (CPAC), Mr Trudeau was asked, “How is India’s cooperation shaping up on the assassination investigations of Canadian citizen Hardeep Singh Nijjar when Canada has credible allegations and India expects Canada to complete its own investigation first?” The Canadian PM responded saying, “The killing of a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil is something that we all should take extremely seriously.”
“The credible allegations that agents of the Indian government were involved in–that is something that we did not declare lightly, but our responsibility to protect all Canadians from illegal actions by foreign governments is something that, as a country grounded in diversity, we need to take very seriously,” he added. India has earlier denied the charges as baseless.
Mr Trudeau said the Canadian government is ensuring appropriate probe is being done, according to a video shared by the CPAC.
“That’s why we have been unequivocal about standing up for the rule of law and ensuring that the appropriate investigations are being done in full accordance with our justice system and our police independence,” the Canadian PM said.
Moreover, he said they are working constructively with the Indian government to get to the bottom of this matter.
“At the same time, we are working. We’re looking to work constructively with the government of India to get to the bottom of this, to understand how this could have happened, and to make sure that no Canadians are ever vulnerable again to foreign interference by any international power,” he added.
Nijjar, who was designated a terrorist by the National Investigation Agency in 2020, was shot and killed as he came out of a Gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia, on the evening of June 18, 2023.
Trudeau had alleged the Indian government’s role in Nijjar’s killing, a charge that India rejected and led to the deterioration of diplomatic ties between the two countries. India has rejected the allegations as “absurd and motivated”.
According to the Ministry of External Affairs, Canada has not been able to present any evidence to back its claims over the killing.
