In an interview with The Canadian Press news agency, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau explained that his decision to publicly make allegations against India regarding the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar was aimed at deterring a similar action and putting a "chill" on such activities.
Trudeau clarified that the strained ties between India and Canada resulted from his allegations on September 18, suggesting a potential involvement of Indian agents in Nijjar's killing on June 18 in British Columbia. India had designated Nijjar as a terrorist in 2020, and it dismissed Trudeau's claims as "absurd" and "motivated."
During a year-end interview, Trudeau revealed that he chose to make the announcement publicly because he anticipated that information would eventually be leaked through the media. He stated that the message delivered in the House of Commons that day was an additional deterrent measure to enhance the safety of Canadians.
Trudeau emphasized that his public statement followed weeks of "quiet diplomacy," where the allegations were raised with India at the highest levels. He acknowledged the difficult conversations but deemed it an important moment for India to demonstrate leadership on the world stage, especially with the G20 summit approaching.
According to Trudeau, the decision to make the allegations public was to provide an extra level of deterrence, publicly asserting that there were credible reasons to believe the Indian government's involvement. The goal was to discourage any further similar actions.
He further stated that Canada had warned India about the eventual disclosure of information, and while diplomatic efforts had been successful leading up to the G20 summit, there were limits to control beyond that.
Trudeau expressed Canada's intent to reveal evidence like the United States when the investigation reaches that stage. He noted the differences in the investigative process, highlighting that Canada is investigating a murder, and the justice system has its unique processes.
Last week, India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar informed the Rajya Sabha that Canada had not shared specific evidence or inputs with India. Following Trudeau's allegations in September, India temporarily suspended visa issuance to Canadian citizens and requested Ottawa to downsize its diplomatic presence in the country for parity, resuming some visa services last month.
