NEW DELHI: Responding to the update on the investigation regarding the killing of India-designated terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, said that they are looking to work constructively with the Indian government to get to the bottom of the matter.
Trudeau talked about the Nijjar killings after being asked by a journalist, “How is India’s cooperation shaping up on the assassination investigations of Canadian citizen Hardeep Singh Nijjar when Canada has credible allegations and India expects Canada to complete its own investigation first?”.
In response, the Canadian PM said, “The killing of a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil is something that we all should take extremely seriously. The credible allegations that agents of the Indian government were involved in that is something that we did not declare lightly, but our responsibility to protect all Canadians from illegal actions by foreign governments is something that, as a country grounded in diversity, we need to take very seriously.”
Further, he said that the Canadian government is ensuring that appropriate investigations are being done.
Trudeau also underscored the importance of working constructively with the Indian government to uncover the facts behind the event. “At the same time, we are working. We’re looking to work constructively with the government of India to get to the bottom of this, to understand how this could have happened, and to make sure that no Canadians are ever vulnerable again to foreign interference by any international power,” he said.
Nijjar, who was designated a terrorist by the National Investigation Agency in 2020, was shot and killed as he came out of a Gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia, on the evening of June 18, 2023.
The attack is described as being ‘highly coordinated’ and involved six men and two vehicles.
Meanwhile, almost nine months later, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) is yet to name suspects or make arrests in relation to Nijjar’s killing.
However, India has rejected the allegations, calling them “absurd and motivated.”
According to the Ministry of External Affairs, Canada has not been able to present any evidence to back its claims over the killing.
(With inputs from agencies)
Trudeau talked about the Nijjar killings after being asked by a journalist, “How is India’s cooperation shaping up on the assassination investigations of Canadian citizen Hardeep Singh Nijjar when Canada has credible allegations and India expects Canada to complete its own investigation first?”.
In response, the Canadian PM said, “The killing of a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil is something that we all should take extremely seriously. The credible allegations that agents of the Indian government were involved in that is something that we did not declare lightly, but our responsibility to protect all Canadians from illegal actions by foreign governments is something that, as a country grounded in diversity, we need to take very seriously.”
Further, he said that the Canadian government is ensuring that appropriate investigations are being done.
Trudeau also underscored the importance of working constructively with the Indian government to uncover the facts behind the event. “At the same time, we are working. We’re looking to work constructively with the government of India to get to the bottom of this, to understand how this could have happened, and to make sure that no Canadians are ever vulnerable again to foreign interference by any international power,” he said.
Nijjar, who was designated a terrorist by the National Investigation Agency in 2020, was shot and killed as he came out of a Gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia, on the evening of June 18, 2023.
The attack is described as being ‘highly coordinated’ and involved six men and two vehicles.
Meanwhile, almost nine months later, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) is yet to name suspects or make arrests in relation to Nijjar’s killing.
However, India has rejected the allegations, calling them “absurd and motivated.”
According to the Ministry of External Affairs, Canada has not been able to present any evidence to back its claims over the killing.
(With inputs from agencies)
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