India is turning the knife into Canada’s bumbling Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. In a swift 1 am move India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), held Trudeau personally responsible for causing damage to India-Canada relations by his “cavalier behaviour”.
The MEA was responding to Trudeau’s testimony at the foreign interference inquiry on Wednesday. During the public hearing, Trudeau admitted that his government only provided “intelligence. And no proof” to India over the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar on Canadian soil.
“What we have heard today only confirms what we have been saying consistently all along. Canada has presented us no evidence whatsoever in support of the serious allegations that it has chosen to level against India and Indian diplomats. The responsibility for the damage that this cavalier behaviour has caused to India-Canada relations lies with Prime Minister Trudeau alone,” MEA’s early morning response said immediately after Trudeau had concluded his testimony.
Only Intelligence, No Proof
During the hearing Trudeau claimed that the Canadian agencies tried to work behind the scenes with India before he went public with the allegations in the Nijjar killing. He said that when Canadian agencies asked India to investigate the allegations, New Delhi sought proof. “At that point, it was primarily intelligence, not hard evidentiary proof,” Trudeau admitted.
During the hearing Trudeau confessed, “they [India] asked us how much do you know? Give us the evidence you have on this and our response was well, it’s within your security agencies, you should be looking into how much they know you should be engaging.”
India has denied outright any involvement of government agents or diplomats in the killing of Nijjar. He was a wanted fugitive who had an Interpol notice against his name. India recalled its envoy to Canada and five other diplomats when Ottawa named them as ‘persons of interest,’ in the Nijjar case. New Delhi also expelled six Canadian diplomats based in Delhi.
“The baseless targeting of the Indian High Commissioner and other diplomats and officials in Canada was completely unacceptable,” MEA said. India’s statement accused Trudeau’s government of fostering an environment of extremism and violence. It asserted that his government has provided space for violent extremists to harass Indian diplomats and community leaders in Canada.
Trudeau Game Plan Backfiring
What is driving Trudeau to take the extreme, undiplomatic position against India? Is it something personal? Or is it just convenient to point the finger at India?
Old Canada hands suspect it is the latter. Trudeau’s tirade against India is perhaps aimed at deflecting attention from the outcome of the inquiry. The commission is looking into foreign interference in Canada by China. That could be far more politically damaging to him at a time when elections in Canada are not too far away..
Either way, Trudeau’s game plan has backfired with India refusing to accept his government’s allegations.
