New Delhi:
A report by a Canadian commission looking into alleged foreign interference in its electoral processes and democratic institutions said “no definitive link” with a “foreign state” in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar was “proven”.
Nijjar, a Canadian citizen, was killed in Vancouver in June 2023, kickstarting a diplomatic crisis after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused “agents” of India being involved. He claimed “credible information” had been shared with intelligence partners, including the US.
India rejected all the allegations made by Canada, and subsequently recalled the high commissioner. Canada also expelled Indian diplomats.
In the report titled ‘Public Inquiry Into Foreign Interference in Federal Electoral Processes and Democratic Institutions’, the commissioner Marie-Josee Hogue said disinformation is used as a retaliatory tactic to punish decisions that run contrary to a state’s interests.
While the report alleged India spread disinformation on the killing of Nijjar, it contradicted itself by saying Canada could not find a link to a foreign state on his killing.
“This may have been the case with a disinformation campaign that followed the Prime Minister’s [Justin Trudeau’s] announcement regarding suspected Indian involvement in the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar (though again no definitive link to a foreign state could be proven),” the report said.
Nijjar was killed outside a gurdwara in Canada’s Surrey on June 18, 2023.
Following Justin Trudeau’s allegations, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said “smear campaigns” like this only “further damage our already strained ties.”
The 123-page report also talked of expelling six Indian diplomats in October last year, dubbing them as “agents”. The police in Canada claimed they have evidence and found a “campaign of violence”.
India had termed it “baseless targeting”, saying the hounding of the Indian High Commissioner and other diplomats and officials in Canada was completely unacceptable.
