India Confirms Meeting Between India, Canada Intel Officials, But Maintains No Evidence Shared On Nijjar Case
by Nayanima Basu · abp LiveMEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said there was a meeting between NSA Ajit Doval & Canadian intelligence officials but Ottawa didn't share any evidence of Indian officials' involvement in Nijjar case
By : Nayanima Basu | Updated at : 02 Nov 2024 08:07 PM (IST)
India has once again summoned a Canadian diplomat based in their mission in New Delhi for naming Amit Shah in the Nijjar case.
Source : PTI (modified)
India-Canada Row: India Saturday confirmed there was indeed a meeting that was held between Canadian intelligence officials and National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval last month in Singapore. However, New Delhi maintained that even in that meeting Ottawa “did not share” any evidence that indicated alleged involvement of any Indian official in the killing of Khalistan separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
"Yes the meeting did take place… And I again reiterate that Canada so far has not shared with us any shred of evidence … There are several issues you discuss when you meet,” Jaiswal Saturday said responding to a question during a media briefing.
This comes after Canada named Home Minister Amit Shah for authorising attacks and intelligence gathering on pro-Khalistan Sikh separatists living in Canada. The matter came to light after a report by The Washington Post naming Shah was published on October 29.
Shah’s name was confirmed to the US-based newspaper by Canada’s Deputy Foreign Minister David Morrison.
Morrison told the Canadian Parliament members of the national security committee Tuesday that Amit Shah "ordered a campaign of violence, intimidation and intelligence-gathering targeting Sikh separatists in Canada".
The meeting between NSA Doval and Canadian intel officials held in Singapore got revealed during the same meeting with the committee members. This was revealed by Canada’s NSA Nathalie Drouin two days before the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) disclosed all the details of Nijjar’s murder case and India’s alleged role in that. She also said the RCMP went public because Canada realised that India will not cooperate with them in the investigations.
Canada had asked India to waive diplomatic immunity for the “persons of interest” named by RCMP, which included India’s High Commissioner to Canada Sanjay Verma, who was subsequently recalled since then. Verma is not back in India along with other Indian diplomats who were named by RCMP.
India Calls Canada’s Naming Of Amit Shah As ‘Absurd And Baseless’
Jaiswal Saturday also said India yet again summoned a Canadian diplomat based in their mission here in New Delhi for naming Shah in the case and handed over a diplomatic note to the official in reference to the recent proceedings of Canada's Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security on October 29.
"It was conveyed in the Note that the Government of India protests in the strongest terms to the absurd and baseless references made to the Union Home Minister of India before the Committee by Deputy Minister David Morrison,” he said.
The MEA spokesperson also added: “In fact, the revelation that high Canadian officials deliberately leak unfounded insinuations to the international media as part of a conscious strategy to discredit India and influence other nations only confirms the view Government of India has long held about the current Canadian Government’s political agenda and behavioral pattern. Such irresponsible actions will have serious consequences for bilateral ties.”
ALSO READ ON ABP LIVE | Canada Didn’t Share 'A Shred Of Evidence' With India On Nijjar Case, Says Indian Envoy
‘Canada Indulging In Harassment And Intimidation’
Canada is also believed to be conducting audio and video surveillance on Indian diplomats based in that country.
“Some of our Consular officials were recently informed by the Canadian Government that they have been and continued to be under audio and video surveillance. Their communications have also been intercepted. We have formally protested to the Canadian Government as we deem these actions to be a flagrant violation of relevant diplomatic and consular conventions,” said Jaiswal.
He added: “By citing technicalities, the Canadian government cannot justify the fact that it is indulging in harassment and intimidation. Our diplomatic and consular personnel are already functioning in an environment of extremism and violence. This action of the Canadian Government aggravates the situation and is incompatible with established diplomatic norms and practices.”
This comes after Canada labelled India as a “cyber adversary” in a report on cyber security — National Cyber Threat Assessment 2025-2026. This was released by the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security.
“Countries that aspire to become new centres of power within the global system, such as India, are building cyber programs that present varying levels of threat to Canada,” it said.
"We assess that Indian state-sponsored cyber threat actors likely conduct cyber threat activity against Government of Canada networks for the purpose of espionage. We judge that official bilateral relations between Canada and India will very likely drive Indian state-sponsored cyber threat activity against Canada,” said the report that gets published every two years.
India on Saturday also said it is monitoring the well-being of the thousands of Indian students studying in Canada and also of those who are working there on temporary work visas.
“Our concern for their safety and security remains strong,” said Jaiswal, adding that the decision by the Canadian government to not to hold Diwali celebrations shows that Ottawa has “reached high levels of intolerance and extremism".
Nijjar, 45, was killed outside a gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia, on June 18, 2023. He was an India-born Canadian citizen who ran his own business in Canada and was also a prominent leader of the Khalistan movement there.
Meanwhile, the developments in Canada are also having a bearing on a similar case that is going on in the United States concerning an alleged attempt to assassinate Sikh separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a dual US-Canadian citizen, in New York.
The United States termed Canada's allegations against Amit Shah "concerning" and said Washington would continue to consult Ottawa on the issue.
"The allegations made by the government of Canada are concerning, and we will continue to consult with the Canadian government about those allegations," State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller said recently during a press briefing.
Published at : 02 Nov 2024 08:07 PM (IST)
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