No evidence linking PM Modi, Jaishankar and NSA Doval to criminal activities: Canada | India News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: Canada on Friday issued a statement clarifying that it has no evidence linking Prime Minister Narendra Modi, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar or National Security Advisor Ajit Doval to criminal activities in the country.
“On October 14, due to a significant and ongoing threat to public safety, the RCMP and officials took the extraordinary step of making public allegations of serious criminal activity in Canada committed by agents of the Government of India,” said the intelligence adviser’s statement to read Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
“The Government of Canada has not stated, nor is it aware of any evidence, linking Prime Minister Modi, Minister Jaishankar or NSA Doval to the serious criminal activities in Canada. Any suggestion to the contrary is both speculative and inaccurate,” it added.
Also read: India rejects Canadian media report on Nijjar killing, calling it ‘ridiculous’ and ‘smear campaign’

This comes after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau publicly accused India in October of conducting covert operations in Canada that posed a significant threat to public safety. Trudeau claimed that Canadian officials had made multiple attempts to cooperate with Indian authorities but were continually rebuffed.
The Canadian Prime Minister stated that the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) has compelling evidence linking Indian government agents to activities such as information gathering and coercion, including involvement in serious criminal acts. Trudeau condemned these actions and called for respect for Canadian sovereignty.
India had categorically rejected these allegations, terming them baseless and politically motivated. The Foreign Office said Trudeau’s government used anti-Indian rhetoric for domestic political gain. They pointed to his past actions, including associations with political groups advocating separatism in India, as evidence of his long-standing hostility toward India.
The MEA also criticized Canada for providing a platform to extremist elements, especially in light of the investigation into Nijjar’s murder.
Following this, India expelled six Canadian diplomats and recalled the High Commissioner from Canada. The MEA called on Canada’s charge d’affaires, Stewart Wheeler, to express his dissatisfaction with the allegations and warned that further retaliation could follow. The Indian government, meanwhile, has dismissed claims about Modi’s involvement in Nijjar’s death as “ridiculous” and said the accusations were intended to serve political purposes, further straining already strained relations.