A day after a Canadian media report alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval were aware of a plot to murder Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, the Justin Trudeau government dismissed the claims as “speculative and inaccurate.”
In an official statement, the Canadian government clarified that it had not made any such allegations and stated it is “not aware of any evidence” suggesting Modi’s involvement in any serious criminal activity.
“On October 14, due to a significant and ongoing public safety threat, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and officials took the extraordinary step of publicly accusing agents of the Government of India of serious criminal activity in Canada. However, the Government of Canada has not stated, nor does it have evidence, linking Prime Minister Modi, Minister Jaishankar, or NSA Doval to these activities,” read the statement from Canada’s Privy Council Office, signed by National Security and Intelligence Advisor Nathalie G. Drouin.
MEA’s Response
Responding to a report by The Globe and Mail citing an unnamed official, India strongly rejected the claims, calling them “ludicrous statements” that deserve outright contempt.
External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated on Thursday:
“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.”
What Did the Report Say?
The Globe and Mail report alleged that “Canadian security agencies believe Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India knew about the killing of a Sikh separatist leader in British Columbia and other violent plots,” according to a senior national-security official involved in the intelligence assessment of New Delhi’s foreign-interference activities in Canada.
Report Claims on Indian Officials
The report also alleged that Canadian and American intelligence linked the assassination operation to Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Additionally, it quoted an unnamed official claiming that NSA Ajit Doval and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar were also aware of the plot.
Deteriorating India-Canada Relations
India-Canada relations plunged to a new low in September 2023 when Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told the Canadian Parliament that there was evidence implicating Indian agents in the assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was shot dead in Surrey, Canada, in June 2023.
India dismissed the allegations as baseless and politically motivated, outright rejecting the claims.
Escalation of Tensions in October
In October, tensions between India and Canada escalated sharply over the case at the center of their strained relations. India expelled six Canadian diplomats and announced the recall of Indian High Commissioner to Canada, Sanjay Kumar Verma, along with other “targeted diplomats,” citing security concerns after Ottawa labeled them as “persons of interest” in its investigation into Hardeep Singh Nijjar’s killing.
Canada, meanwhile, sought support from its Five Eyes intelligence-sharing partners— the US, UK, New Zealand, and Australia— to advance its investigation into the allegations.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) later strongly rejected the Trudeau government’s claim that credible evidence of Indian involvement had been shared, calling it unsubstantiated.
Describing the allegations as “preposterous imputations,” the ministry attributed them to the Trudeau government’s political agenda, which it claimed was driven by vote-bank politics.
