Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly has reaffirmed her country’s stance on Wednesday, standing by allegations levelled against India regarding the murder of India-designated terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, just a day after Canada criticized Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. Joly maintained that their job is to protect Canadians and they stand by the allegations that a Canadian was killed on Canadian soil by Indian agents. The minister said that the investigation into the killing of Nijjar is being conducted by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. She emphasized that no other official from the Canadian government will comment further, adding, “On the question of relationship with India, I think that is always better when diplomacy remains in private and Canada will continue to stand by first protecting Canadians.”
The remarks from Minister Joly come a day after India vehemently denied the allegations levelled against it. The Indian government has labelled the claims as ‘absurd and motivated’, and has called for diplomatic channels to be respected.
The killing of Nijjar has sparked a diplomatic row between Canada and India. The incident has brought to the forefront concerns over organized crime and terrorism, and the role of foreign actors in fostering such activities.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) is leading the investigation into the murder of Nijjar. The RCMP has announced that three individuals have been arrested in connection with the killing – Karanpreet Singh, Kamalpreet Singh, and Karan Brar.
The RCMP has not yet released any further information about the investigation or the motives behind the killing. The investigation is ongoing and further updates are expected to be released in the future.
