India condemns Trudeau’s unfounded allegations in Nijjar murder case, calls for concrete proof

India, as per reports, has made it clear to Canada that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau cannot make unfounded accusations against the country’s ruling Narendra Modi government regarding the murder of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar without providing evidence.

New Delhi communicated this to Ottawa during a meeting with senior Canadian security officials and diplomats in a third country on Saturday (Oct 12). 

India expressed its concerns to top security officials and diplomats of Justin Trudeau’s government. New Delhi made it clear that influencing investigations and giving political directions to investigative agencies for political gain is illegal.

The discussion followed an awkward encounter at the ASEAN summit on October 11, where Trudeau ambushed the Indian PM and attempted to raise the Nijjar issue. Modi reportedly told him it was “not the time and place” for such discussions. India later clarified that no meaningful conversation had occurred between the two leaders.

Trudeau’s timing has raised eyebrows. The Modi administration reportedly asserts that the Canadian PM is attempting to leverage anti-India, pro-Khalistani sentiment for political gains ahead of his appearance before the public inquiry into foreign interference in Federal Electoral Processes and Democratic Institutions on October 16.

Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly has appeared before the so-called commission and has made public the government’s intention to implicate India, with the Public Safety Minister scheduled to testify soon on Oct 15.

Despite Trudeau’s claims in Parliament that India was involved in Nijjar’s death — which happened on Sept 18, 2023 — no evidence has been produced to back this up. The RCMP is still investigating the case and has arrested four Sikh individuals for the murder in what appears to involve gang-related violence. 

India insists it has nothing to hide, and that it was expecting the Trudeau government to justify its accusations. 

With Trudeau’s minority government facing pressure ahead of the 2025 Finance Bill, analysts suggest he may continue to leverage the Nijjar narrative to appeal to his political base. However, India has stated that improving relations with Canada hinges on Ottawa taking concrete action against anti-India Khalistani activities on its soil.

(With inputs from agencies)