Trudeau Rakes Up Nijjar Row Yet Again, Says Canada is Looking to 'Work Constructively' With India

Ottawa – As the India-Canada diplomatic ties continue to deteriorate, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau raked up the Nijjar row yet again.  On Thursday, Trudeau said that they are trying to work “constructively” with the Indian government to conduct a thorough investigation into the murder of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. According to Canada-based Cable Public Affairs Channel (CPAC), the Canadian premier's latest comment on the matter came when he was asked how “India is cooperating” in the ongoing investigation. Last year, Trudeau stirred a major diplomatic row after he stated that “agents working for the government of India" were responsible for the assassination of the terrorist. However, New Delhi has vehemently denied the allegations and asked Ottawa to provide solid evidence. 

“The killing of a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil is something that we all should take extremely seriously,” the Canadian premier told CPAC on Thursday. "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. It is pertinent to note that throughout this whole ordeal, Canada has yet to provide any sort of evidence to support its argument.  

Trudeau seeks a ‘constructive’ route

The Canadian Prime Minister went on to state that they are abiding by the country's rule of law and working with the Indian government at the same time. "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. "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 was shot dead after he came out of a Gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia, on the evening of June 18, 2023. The Khalistani activist was designated as a “terrorist” by the National Investigation Agency in 2020. In the past, the Indian government has called Trudeau's allegation “absurd”.