The Canadian government Friday formally clarified the allegations that attached criminal activities to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval.
The statement clarified that no evidence exists to support such claims and removes from speculation the topic at hand.
A clarification came from Nathalie G. Drouin, Deputy Clerk of the Privy Council and National Security and Intelligence Advisor to the Canadian Prime Minister.
On October 14, because of a credible and ongoing threat to public safety, the RCMP and officials made public accusations of serious criminal activity in Canada by agents of the Government of India. The Government of Canada has not made, nor is aware of evidence, linking Prime Minister Modi, Minister Jaishankar, or NSA Doval to the serious criminal activity within Canada.". Any such suggestion is both speculative and factually incorrect, that statement read.
This is after heightened diplomatic tension between the countries.
Earlier this month, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused the Indian government of covert activities on Canadian soil, which he claimed posed significant risks to public safety.
Trudeau has claimed that the RCMP had gathered prima facie evidence of Indian agents indulging in spying, arm-twisting, and other serious offenses. Trudeau called this "an outrage to Canada's sovereignty, a crime against this very soil" and asked them to stop it right away.
India, on its part, has been disputing these charges as "absurd and baseless" and "a cocktail of hate and malice" that has been hatched as a deliberate strategy by Canada to vilify India.
Of late, on October 29, 2024, Ottawa's proceedings before the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security drew sharp criticism from New Delhi. The Canadian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, David Morrison, was reported to have made the remarks implicating India's Union Home Minister Amit Shah in targeting pro-Khalistan activists in Canada during the session.
New Delhi responded by lodging a strong diplomatic protest. Speaking at a media briefing, Ministry of External Affairs spokesman Randhir Jaiswal said: "We had summoned the representative of the Canadian High Commission yesterday".
The proceeding of the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security in Ottawa on October 29, 2024, has been referred to by means of an appropriately handed over diplomatic note. It was communicated through the note that the Government of India protests in the strongest terms to the absurd and baseless references made to the Union Home Minister of India before the Committee by Deputy Minister David Morrison.
Read also| Palestine Criticizes US Veto on UN Resolution Calling for Gaza Ceasefire
Read also| Netanyahu Vows No Hamas Rule in Gaza, Offers $5 Million Reward for Hostage Information
