New Delhi: Diplomatic relations between India and Canada nosedived ever since Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke of ‘credible allegations’ of India’s link behind the murder of Khalistani extremist Hardeep Nijjar on Canadian soil.
Diplomats have been expelled by both nations, Indian visa services in Canada suspended, and the trust deficit has only been growing.
There has even been an allegation that the aircraft in which the Canadian PM flew to New Delhi for the G20 Leaders’ Summit earlier in September was loaded with cocaine.
It was former diplomat Deepak Vohra who made this sensational claim during a television debate after Trudeau linked Nijjar’s killing with Indian agents quoting intel from the ‘Five Eyes’, a multilateral intelligence-sharing network.
The Prime Minister’s office has rubbished Vohra’s claim.
“This is absolutely false and a troubling example of how disinformation can make its way into media reporting,” Trudeau’s office said in a statement as reported by the Toronto Star.
Vohra had said Trudeau’s plane was “full of cocaine” during his visit to India, and that the Canadian PM missed the dinner on September 9 as he was ‘high on drugs’.
“During Canadian PM Justin Trudeau’s visit to India for the G20 summit this month, his plane was full of cocaine. He also missed the President’s dinner as some people say that he was not in his senses due to drug consumption,” Vohra stated.
“So nothing can be said about what goes on his mind,” Vohra e added, referring to Trudeau’s unsubstantiated allegations about Nijjar’s murder in Surrey, British Columbia, on June 18.
Firmly rejecting Trudeau’s allegations as “absurd” and “motivated”, the Indian government said no specific evidence has been provided.
Trudeau said yesterday that despite “credible allegations” against India, Canada is committed to building closer ties with Narendra Modi government, The National Post newspaper reported.
“India is a growing economic power and important geopolitical player. And as we presented with our Indo-Pacific strategy, just last year, we’re very serious about building closer ties with India,” Trudeau told newspersons. “At the same time, obviously, as a rule of law country, we need to emphasise that India needs to work with Canada to ensure that we get the full facts of this matter.”
