Canada denies linking Modi to criminal plot
https://www.rt.com/india/608022-trudeau-government-denies-linking-modi/
Ottawa reacted after New Delhi blasted a Canadian media report linking top Indian officials to the murder of a Sikh separatist
The Canadian government has denied that it linked Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi – as well as the country’s foreign minister and national security adviser – to a criminal plot in Canada. This comes amid a tense diplomatic row between the two nations following accusations made by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau that India was involved in the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a prominent leader of the Khalistan separatist movement, which New Delhi views as a threat.
“The Government of Canada has not stated, nor is it aware of evidence, linking Prime Minister Modi, Minister Jaishankar, or NSA Doval to serious criminal activity within Canada,” according to a statement issued on Friday by Nathalie Drouin, the national security and intelligence adviser to the prime minister.
The statement came one day after New Delhi refuted a report in the Canadian outlet Globe and Mail, which cited security officials who suggested that the Indian leader was aware of the plot to murder Nijjar. The report also named top officials in Modi’s cabinet – Minister of External Affairs Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and National Security Adviser Ajit Doval – linking them to the assassination campaign.
“We do not normally comment on media reports. However, such ludicrous statements made to a newspaper purportedly by a Canadian government source should be dismissed with the contempt they deserve. Smear campaigns like this only further damage our already strained ties,” the Indian Foreign Ministry said on Thursday. Continue…