Trudeau Admits Canada Had 'No Proof' Against India In Nijjar Killing: 'It Was Primarily Intel'

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Wednesday admitted that his government had provided "intelligence but no proof" to India regarding the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar on Canadian soil.

Testifying before the country's foreign interference inquiry, Trudeau stated that Canadian agencies had attempted to engage with India privately before he publicly accused New Delhi over Nijjar's death.

Photo Credit: PTI File Photo

He revealed that when Canadian agencies requested India to investigate the allegations, India demanded evidence.

"At that point, it was primarily intelligence, not hard evidentiary proof," Trudeau acknowledged.

The Indian government has consistently criticised Canada for making baseless accusations without supplying any concrete evidence.

Trudeau also reflected on his meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the G20 Summit in New Delhi in September 2023, prior to Canada making its allegations public.

"I sat down and shared (with PM Modi) that we knew they were involved (in Nijjar's killing) and expressed a real concern around it. He responded with his usual response, which is that we have people living in Canada who are outspoken against the Indian government, and he would like to see them arrested," Trudeau said.

He claimed that India had refused to cooperate with the investigation and instead intensified its criticism of his government, asserting that "India had violated Canada's sovereignty."

Trudeau made his appearance before the committee after Ottawa's latest accusation that Indian diplomats had been involved in gathering information and employing criminal gangs to target members of the pro-Khalistan movement in Canada. He reiterated his assertion before the committee that there was "credible evidence" linking Indian agents to Nijjar's murder.

Trudeau also implicated gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, who had previously been mentioned by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) in connection with Nijjar's killing. He accused Indian diplomats of gathering intelligence on Canadians and relaying it to the Lawrence Bishnoi gang.

Following Canada's accusations against Indian diplomats on Monday morning, the Ministry of External Affairs issued a sharp response, stating that Canada had not provided a "shred of evidence of India's involvement in Nijjar's killing" despite repeated requests. The ministry also accused Trudeau of engaging in vote-bank politics and failing to address separatist elements in Canada.

The diplomatic rift escalated further when New Delhi recalled its top envoy from Ottawa and expelled six Canadian diplomats late on Monday evening.