New Delhi: Amid the diplomatic face-off between India and Canada over Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s allegations of an Indian role in the killing of a Khalistani terrorist, a key ally of Ottawa has questioned the lack of evidence of New Delhi’s involvement. Winston Peters, New Zealand’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, told The Indian Express that Canada has not shared any evidence that establishes its allegations.
At the center of the diplomatic row between India and Canada is the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar (45), chief of the banned Khalistan Tiger Force and one of India’s most-wanted terrorists. Nijjar was shot dead outside a gurdwara in Canada’s British Columbia in June.
In September last year, shortly after he attended the G20 summit in India, Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau said in parliament that Canadian security agencies were “actively pursuing credible allegations of a potential link between agents of the Government of India and the killing of a Canadian citizen, Hardeep Singh Nijjar”. India has trashed the allegations, describing them as “absurd” and “motivated”.
The US Ambassador to Canada David Cohen last year said in an interview that “shared intelligence” among partners of Five Eyes – an intelligence alliance of the US, the UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand – helped lead Canada to make the statements that the Prime Minister (Trudeau) made”.
Responding to questions on whether Canada had shared information on the Nijjar case with its ‘Five Eyes’ allies, Peters said it was handled by the previous New Zealand government. The 78-year-old, who is visiting India, became Deputy Prime Minister after Centre-Right parties came to power in New Zealand in November last year.
“As a trained lawyer, I look okay, so where’s the case? Where’s the evidence? Where’s the finding right here, right now? Well, there isn’t one,” he said. This is the first time a Five Eyes partner has questioned Canada’s allegations.
