Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has strongly criticized his national security officials, accusing them of leaking classified information to the media and spreading false narratives. This comes after a Canadian media report linked Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the alleged plot to assassinate Khalistani separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar, further straining ties between India and Canada.
At a press conference in Brampton on Friday, Trudeau referred to the officials behind the leaks as “criminals,” stating, “We have seen, unfortunately, that criminals leaking top-secret information to the media have consistently gotten those stories wrong.” He emphasized the unreliability of such leaks, which he said undermine national security.
The allegations, based on an unnamed security source, claimed that Modi, along with Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, was aware of the alleged plot led by Union Home Minister Amit Shah. However, the report provided no evidence to substantiate these claims.
The Canadian government promptly denied any such evidence, with Trudeau’s intelligence adviser, Nathalie Drouin, stating, “The Government of Canada has not stated, nor is it aware of evidence linking Prime Minister Modi, Minister Jaishankar, or NSA Doval to serious criminal activity within Canada. Any suggestion otherwise is speculative and inaccurate.”
India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) dismissed the allegations as “ludicrous” and “smear campaigns,” urging they be disregarded. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal called the claims baseless and undeserving of attention.
Diplomatic relations between India and Canada have been tense since Trudeau accused Indian agents of involvement in Nijjar’s killing in June 2023. New Delhi has consistently denied these accusations, describing them as politically motivated and absurd.
Tensions escalated further when the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) linked Indian agents to criminal activities, including extortion and intimidation, on Canadian soil. Both countries retaliated by expelling senior diplomats, deepening the diplomatic rift.
India has also accused Canada of sheltering individuals involved in terrorism and crimes targeting Indian interests, a longstanding point of contention between the two nations.
