NEW DELHI: India has taken a serious note of the allegations levelled by Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau’s allegation that India was behind the killing of Canadian radical Khalistani separatist -Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
“We have seen and reject the statement of the Canadian Prime Minister in their Parliament, as also the statement by their Foreign Minister,” said the Ministry of External Affairs in a statement.
"Allegations of Government of India's involvement in any act of violence in Canada are absurd and motivated. Similar allegations were made by the Canadian Prime Minister to our Prime Minister, and were completely rejected,” MEA added.
India has reaffirmed its stand that it’s a democratic polity with a strong commitment to rule of law.
“Such unsubstantiated allegations seek to shift the focus from Khalistani terrorists and extremists, who have been provided shelter in Canada and continue to threaten India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. The inaction of the Canadian Government on this matter has been a long-standing and continuing concern,” says the Indian government.
"Canadian political figures have openly expressed sympathy for such elements remains a matter of deep concern. The space given in Canada to a range of illegal activities including murders, human trafficking and organised crime is not new.
“We reject any attempts to connect Government of India to such developments. We urge the Government of Canada to take prompt and effective legal action against all anti-India elements operating from their soil,” said MEA.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had told an emergency parliament session that his government had "credible allegations" linking Indian agents to the slaying of an exiled Sikh leader, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, in British Columbia.
It was an "unacceptable violation of our sovereignty", he said.
Ottawa's foreign minister Melanie Jolie said an Indian diplomat had been expelled, identifying them as the head of the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), India's foreign intelligence agency, in Canada.
Nijjar, a Sikh separatist whom India had declared a wanted terrorist -- he had denied the charges -- was shot dead near Vancouver.
The foreign ministry in New Delhi insisted: "We are a democratic polity with a strong commitment to rule of law."
It said Trudeau -- who visited New Delhi this month for the G20 summit -- had already made similar allegations to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and they had been "completely rejected".
The accusations "seek to shift the focus from Khalistani terrorists and extremists, who have been provided shelter in Canada and continue to threaten India's sovereignty and territorial integrity", it added.
Canada has the largest Sikh population outside India and New Delhi accuses Ottawa of turning a blind eye to the activities of nationalists who seek a separate Sikh homeland in northern India and elsewhere.
(With inputs from AFP)