Justin Trudeau Reaffirms Accusations Following India-Canada Diplomatic Clash

Late Monday, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau reaffirmed his allegations that India is “supporting criminal activity against Canadians” and engaging in “coercive behavior targeting South Asian Canadians.”

The two countries this week exchanged a second round of tit-for-tat expulsion of diplomats, amid a deepening row over claims linking “agents of the Indian government” with the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canadian citizen, in June last year.

India – which has yet to respond to these latest comments – has set up a high-level committee to investigate the allegation. However New Delhi has repeatedly shot down “absurd” and “motivated” the claim it was linked to the murder, pointing out no evidence has been provided to back up the charges.

On Monday, Delhi also said that since the allegations were first made, the Trudeau administration “has not shared a shred of evidence with the Government of India, despite many requests…”

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Trudeau Accuses India of Collaborating with Organized Crime Against Canadians Amid Diplomatic Tensions

In comments after India ejected six Canadian diplomats – including acting High Commissioner Stewart Wheeler and his deputy – Mr Trudeau said he had shared information about the accusations with Five Eyes partners, particularly the United States.

These latest charges, though, represent an escalation as they allege a wider campaign of the Indian government – of working, Mr Trudeau said, with organised crime elements in Canada to “collect – through questionable and illegal means – information on Canadian citizens… (that is fed to criminal organisations) that would then take violent actions from extortion to murder”.

“I think it is obvious the Government of India made a fundamental error in thinking they could engage in supporting criminal activity against Canadians, here on Canadian soil. Whether it be murders or extortion or other violent acts, it is absolutely unacceptable,” Mr Trudeau said.

Mr Trudeau also said, “We shared our concerns with the Government of India and asked them to work with us…”. However, he claimed that these requests had been “repeatedly refused”.

“That is why… this weekend… Canadian officials took an extraordinary step. They met with Indian officials to share RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police) evidence, which concluded six agents of the Government of India are ‘persons of interest’ in criminal activities. And despite repeated requests to the Government of India, they have decided not to co-operate…”

Mr Trudeau’s allegations coincide with sliding support and tanking popularity ratings; last week he survived a second parliamentary confidence vote in as many weeks ahead of an election in 2025.

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