New Delhi:
Amid the ongoing diplomatic row with Canada over the killing of a Khalistani terrorist on Canadian soil, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar today met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told the House of Commons on Monday that his government had “credible allegations” that linked Indian government agents to the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar on Canadian soil in June.
The meeting between PM Modi and Mr Jaishankar took place in the new Parliament House to discuss India-Canada relations.
Following Mr Trudeau’s remarks, India and Canada have expelled a senior diplomat each. Centre has rejected the allegations as “absurd” and “motivated.”
Nijjar, 45, was an Indian terrorist and chief of the banned Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF), and was assassinated outside a gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia, on June 18. He was one of India’s most wanted terrorists who carried a cash reward of Rs 10 lakh.
Amid the rising tensions between the two countries, Mr Trudeau on Tuesday assured that his in not looking to “provoke” India but wants the Indian government to take Nijjar’s killing with “utmost seriousness”.
“We are not looking to provoke or escalate. We want to work with the government of India to lay everything clear and to ensure there are proper processes,” Mr Trudeau said.
The diplomatic row comes shortly after the issue was raised between Mr Trudeau and PM Modi on the sidelines of the recently concluded G20 summit in New Delhi.
