India slams the Canadian report, calling it a smear campaign.

India Dismisses Canadian Report as Baseless Smear Campaign

Written by: Supriya Kadu

Edited by: Pinky Deshmukh

Last Updated: November 21, 2024

Summary: The report claims the involvement of India's external affairs minister and NSA in a

conspiracy to kill Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

India slammed the Canadian report on Wednesday, calling it a "smear campaign," that said the Indian prime minister knew of an alleged conspiracy to kill Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

Randhir Jaiswal, a spokesman for the External Affairs Ministry, referred to the story that quoted an anonymous official and stated that such "ludicrous statements" ought to be treated with the disdain they deserve.

“We do not normally comment on media reports. However, such ludicrous statements made to a newspaper purportedly by a Canadian government source should be dismissed with the contempt they deserve,” he said, further adding, "Smear campaigns like this only further damage our already strained ties."

In June 2023, Nijjar was shot dead outside a gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia. Four Indian nationals were detained and accused by Canadian authorities for the murder.

Canada, however, fails to show any proof to back up its claim that the Indian government was involved in Nijjar's murder.

After Canada accused Indian High Commissioner Sanjay Verma and other diplomats of being involved in the murder last month, India-Canada ties took a severe turn for the worst.

India responded by withdrawing its envoy and expelling six Canadian diplomats after Ottawa named the Indian ambassador and other diplomats as "persons of interest" in the probe into the murder of pro-Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.