Sanjay Kumar Verma, India’s High Commissioner to Canada, reaffirmed New Delhi’s position on the diplomatic impasse with Ottawa and urged the latter to provide proof for its claim that Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar was killed. The comments were made by the Indian representative during an interview with The Globe and Mail on Friday.
This followed claims made by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau that Nijjar’s June murder was carried out by “agents of the Indian government.” In a tit-for-tat move over Canada’s decision, India had rejected the allegations as “absurd and motivated” and expelled a Canadian diplomat. Verma emphasized that Canada and its allies have not provided India with hard proof regarding its purported involvement in the killing of Nijjar.
He further suggested that the continuing Canadian police probe into the killing had been “damaged” by PM Trudeau’s public statements.
“There is no specific or relevant information provided in this case for us to assist them in the investigation,” Verma said.
“Where is the evidence? Where is the conclusion of the investigation? I would go a step further and say now the investigation has already been tainted. A direction has come from someone at a high level to say India or Indian agents are behind it,” The Globe and Mail quoted him as saying.