Canada Denies Evidence Linking Indian Leaders to Criminal Activities, Clarifies Allegations
New Delhi: The Canadian government formally addressed the recent allegations linking Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval to criminal activities in Canada. On Friday, a statement issued by Nathalie G. Drouin, Deputy Clerk of the Privy Council and National Security and Intelligence Advisor to the Canadian Prime Minister, clarified that no evidence supports such claims.
The statement came after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s October remarks that accused India of conducting covert operations on Canadian soil, allegedly involving surveillance, coercion, and serious crimes. While the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) had previously made public accusations of criminal activity by Indian agents in Canada, the Canadian government emphasized that these allegations did not implicate senior Indian leaders.
“On October 14, because of a significant and ongoing threat to public safety, the RCMP and officials took the extraordinary step of making public accusations of serious criminal activity in Canada perpetrated by agents of the Government of India. However, the Government of Canada has not stated, nor is it aware of evidence linking Prime Minister Modi, Minister Jaishankar, or NSA Doval to the serious criminal activity within Canada. Any suggestion to the contrary is both speculative and inaccurate,” the statement clarified.
This clarification comes amidst growing diplomatic tensions between India and Canada. In October, Trudeau had claimed that the RCMP had credible evidence linking Indian agents to criminal activities, which he stated violated Canada’s sovereignty. In response, India rejected the allegations as “absurd and baseless,” asserting that the accusations were part of a broader strategy by Canada to tarnish India’s image.
Further intensifying the dispute, remarks made during a Canadian parliamentary session on October 29, 2024, brought additional diplomatic fallout. David Morrison, Canada’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, reportedly implicated India’s Union Home Minister Amit Shah in targeting pro-Khalistan activists in Canada. This led India to summon the representative of the Canadian High Commission and issue a strong diplomatic protest.
Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal confirmed that a formal diplomatic note had been delivered, expressing India’s objections to the allegations made in the Standing Committee session, calling them “absurd and baseless.”
As tensions continue to mount, both governments are navigating complex diplomatic waters, with India rejecting the claims outright and Canada reiterating that no evidence links its leadership to the alleged activities.
