'Absurd and motivated': India rejects Canada's allegations over Hardeep Nijjar killing

India on Tuesday rejected the charges levelled by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in connection with the killing of wanted Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar on June 18, by stating that the allegations are 'absurd and motivated.' Addressing the Canadian Parliament, Trudeau said that India's government may have had links to the assassination in Canada of a Sikh activist. 

"We have seen and rejected the statement of the Canadian Prime Minister in their Parliament, as well as the statement by their Foreign Minister. Allegations of the Government of India's involvement in any act of violence in Canada are absurd and motivated. We are a democratic polity with a strong commitment to the rule of law," reads a statement by the Ministry of External Affairs. 

Trudeau mentioned that Canadian intelligence agencies have been looking into the allegations after Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a strong supporter of an independent Sikh homeland known as Khalistan, was gunned down on June 18 outside a Sikh cultural centre in Surrey, British Columbia. Sparking fresh tensions between both nations, the allegations by the Canadian PM led to the expulsion of an Indian diplomat from Canada. 

MEA rejects allegations by Canada

Referring to allegations by Canada, the MEA said that such 'unsubstantiated' charges seek to shift the focus from Khalistani terrorists and extremists, who have been provided shelter in Canada and continue to threaten India’s sovereignty and integrity.

"The inaction of the Canadian Government on this matter has been a long-standing and continuing concern. That Canadian political figures have openly expressed sympathy for such elements remains a matter of deep concern. The space given in Canada to a range of illegal activities including murders, human trafficking and organised crime is not new," it added. 

Rejecting the attempts to connect India with such developments, the MEA urged the Government of Canada to take prompt and effective legal action against all anti-India elements operating from their soil. 

Nijjar shot dead in Canada 

Hardeep Singh Nijjar, the chief of Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) and wanted by the Indian government, was shot dead in Canada's Surrey. He was gunned down by two armed men in Punjabi-dominated Surrey city of British Columbia province.

He was associated with the separatist organisation, Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), which was banned under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) for anti-India activities by the government of India in 2019. Taking cognisance of his several terrorist activities in Punjab, the Indian government had earlier asked Canadian officials to take action against him.