'Unduly Influence Foreign Policy': Canadian Media Slams Trudeau Amid Diplomatic Row With India

As India-Canada relations hit rock bottom, Canadian media has called out Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for pursuing allegations against New Delhi without providing evidence in the row over the killing of Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

The India-Canada diplomatic ties nosedived further on Tuesday with Ottawa hinting at possible sanctions against India in the wake of findings in the case and New Delhi forcefully trashing the allegations including those levelled by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

The Canadian authorities also accused Indian agents of involvement in “homicides, extortion and violent acts” targeting pro-Khalistan supporters and even attempted to link the Bishnoi gang to unspecified criminal activities on Canadian soil.

‘Unduly influence foreign policy’

Writing for The National Post, columnist John Ivison has underlined that Canada has allowed Khalistanis to “flourish” within its borders. He said that Trudeau has allowed diaspora politics to “unduly influence foreign policy” and slammed the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) over making statements against India without providing any evidence.

Daniel Bordman of The National Telegraph echoed Ivison’s argument, saying “Justin Trudeau again fails to provide compelling evidence to the public after escalating tensions with India.” He said that the tensions have escalated to the point of diplomats being expelled but “we are still in the ‘trust me, bro’ phase”. In what appeared like a warning to Canada, Bordman further said, the issue  “could end up costing Canada billions in trade. All to appease Jagmeet and the gang of Khalistani ministers.”

India-Canada Ties

As the ties between the two countries hit rock bottom, Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly did not rule out imposing sanctions against India saying “everything is on the table”. On its part, India strongly rejected attempts by Canadian authorities to link Indian agents with criminal gangs in Canada with Indian officials even saying that Ottawa’s assertion that it shared evidence with New Delhi in the Nijjar case was simply not true.

New Delhi has rejected Trudeau’s allegations that India was engaging in activities including carrying out covert operations targeting Canadian nationals in his country. At a press conference, Trudeau, pointing fingers at India on the Nijjar case, said Canada will never tolerate the involvement of a foreign government in threatening and killing Canadian citizens on Canadian soil.

Canadian diplomats expelled

On Monday, India expelled six Canadian diplomats and announced withdrawing its high commissioner from Canada after dismissing Ottawa’s allegations linking the envoy to a probe into the killing of Nijjar. Joly, replying to a question at Trudeau’s media briefing, did not rule out further action against India. “So today was a really important step. When you look at what is available in our toolbox, expelling diplomats is one of the highest and toughest measures a country can take under the Vienna convention…Everything is on the table,” she said.

The ties between India and Canada came under severe strain following Trudeau’s allegations in September last year of a “potential” involvement of Indian agents in the killing of Nijjar. New Delhi rejected Trudeau’s charges as “absurd”. In his comments at the media briefing on Monday, Trudeau, referring to findings by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), claimed that it has “clear and compelling evidence that agents of the government of India have engaged in, and continue to engage in, activities that pose a significant threat to public safety”.

“This includes clandestine information gathering techniques, coercive behaviour targeting South Asian Canadians, and involvement in over a dozen threatening and violent acts, including murder. This is unacceptable,” he alleged. The Indian government sources told PTI that the assertions by Canadian officials that Canada presented credible evidence to India in the Nijjar case is simply not true.

“The central assertion from all Canadian officials is that credible evidence has been presented to India. This was also repeated by their Charge d’Affaires Stewart Wheelers to the press. This is simply not true,” the source said. “From the very beginning, the Canadian approach has been to make vague accusations and put the burden of denial on India,” it added.

(With agency inputs)