India on September 19 rejected the Canadian allegation of involvement by the Government of India in the killing of a prominent Khalistani separatist leader “on Canadian soil”. In a tough statement, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said such allegations as made by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau diverted attention from the activities of Khalistan operatives living in Canada, and called for effective action against them. In a tit for tat move, India also expelled a senior Canadian diplomat after Canada expelled a diplomat from the Indian High Commission in Ottawa.
“Such unsubstantiated allegations seek to shift the focus from Khalistani terrorists and extremists, who have been provided shelter in Canada and continue to threaten India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. The inaction of the Canadian government on this matter has been a long-standing and continuing concern,” the MEA’s statement declared. The statement further acknowledged that the matter had been discussed earlier by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Mr. Trudeau.
