India-Canada Rift: Trudeau Sticks To Charge, India Counters, US To Stand Up For Principles While Business & Travel Suffers

New Delhi: Canada stuck to its charge against India over the Khalistani terrorist’s murder. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Thursday said his country stands by the international rules-based order and repeated his charge on India’s role in the killing of Khalistani leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar stating that there are “credible reasons” to believe the same.

Addressing a press conference at Canada’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York on Thursday, Justin Trudeau said, “As I said on Monday, there are credible reasons to believe that agents of the government of India were involved in the killing of a Canadian on Canadian soil. That is …there is something of utmost foundational importance in a country’s rule of law in a world where international rules-based order matters…we have rigorous and independent judges and robust processes..”

Justin Trudeau said, “We call upon the Government of India to take seriously this matter and to work with us to shed full transparency and ensure accountability and justice in this matter.” He also highlighted the conversation he had with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the issue. “I had a direct and frank conversation, with the Prime Minister (Modi), in which I shared my concerns in no uncertain terms…”.

Earlier today, the Indian External Affairs Ministry in its response to the allegations by Canada had said, “Yes these allegations were raised by Canadian PM Justin Trudeau with PM (Modi) and PM rejected them.” The MEA said that allegations were raised by Justin Trudeau when he was in India to attend the G20 Summit and that PM Modi had rejected them.

MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said that Canada has not shared any specific information regarding the allegations and that India is asking Canada to take action against those facing charges related to terrorism.

According to a report in the Financial Times, Biden and other leaders made their concerns known at the G20 summit in India after Justine Trudeau urged allies to intervene directly with Prime Minister Modi. Several members of the Five Eyes – an intelligence-sharing network that includes Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the US – raised the killing of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar directly with Modi, the newspaper reported on Thursday, citing three people familiar with discussions at the G20.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the FT’s report, according to the Reuters news agency, but a spokesperson said on Thursday that the US was deeply concerned by the allegations, Al Jazeera reported.

The US is in touch with Indians at high levels after Ottawa said Indian government agents had links to the murder of a Khalistani terrorist in Canada, and Washington is giving no “special exemption” in the matter, US national security adviser Jake Sullivan said on Thursday. The United States has been seeking to strengthen its relationship with India. President Joe Biden hosted Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a state visit at the White House earlier this year. Asked whether US concern over the incident could disrupt that process, Sullivan said the United States would stand up for its principles, regardless of what country is affected.

Meanwhile, travellers are facing the heat after India suspended visa services in Canada. India’s move means most Canadians won’t be able to travel there if they don’t already have a visa. Travel agents said e-visa applications online were also not being processed for Canadians. And while Canadians who previously held Indian passports are eligible for Overseas Citizen of India cards – which allow visa-free entry – many do not hold them.

“This is going to impact Canada, and its trade and economy, where India has played a big role,” said Unnati Oza, a Toronto-based travel agent. “I used to work with a client who used to go there twice a year for business – to Delhi, Bangalore and Chennai. Where are Canadians going to go after this?”

It’s not just business travel. The visa suspension is also hitting leisure travellers. Canadians made 280,000 tourist arrivals in India last year, according to Indian government data, making it the No. 5 source of such visitors, Bloomberg reported.