India-Canada row: Trudeau has no proof but support of Five Eyes. 10 Updates

Amid the ongoing India-Canada crisis, Justin Trudeau on Wednesday acknowledged that his government has no hard proof against India, inviting sharp criticism from New Delhi

The Ministry of External Affairs on Thursday condemned Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, labelling him solely responsible for damaging Canada’s ties with India. This came hours after Trudeau admitted that his government’s allegations against India regarding the murder of Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar were based on intelligence rather than concrete evidence.

Releasing a statement early on Thursday, the ministry said: “What we have heard today only confirms what we have been saying consistently all along – Canada has presented us no evidence whatsoever in support of the serious allegations that it has chosen to level against India and Indian diplomats.”

Trudeau made the remarks while testifying before a commission of inquiry. India had rejected the charges, attributing them to Trudeau’s long-standing hostility against New Delhi and as part of his political agenda to secure a domestic vote bank.

Latest updates on India-Canada diplomatic row:

After the United States came out in support of Canada on Wednesday, stating that India was not cooperating in the investigation linked to Nijjar’s murder, the United Kingdom and Australia also backed Trudeau on the controversy. The United States, United Kingdom and Australia are all part of the Five Eyes intelligence alliance, which also includes Canada and New Zealand. The alliance, founded in 1941, had provided Canada with intelligence after Nijjar was gunned down in June 2023.

How did the United States react to India-Canada diplomatic tensions?

On the row, US State Department spokesperson Mathew Miller said that the United States wanted India to cooperate in the probe, but India “has not chosen that path”.

Meanwhile, the United Kingdom, which spoke to Trudeau on Wednesday, emphasised the importance of the rule of law. New Zealand also issued a statement, noting that “if proven”, the allegations raised by Canada would be “very concerning”.

How did Australia respond to the India-Canada diplomatic row?

An Australian government spokesperson stated that the country upholds the importance of respecting the sovereignty and rule of law of all nations. However, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has not yet publicly commented on the row.

On Monday, Canada’s fresh allegations against India went beyond the charges about Nijjar’s killing. Trudeau alleged that Indian diplomats in Canada were facilitating organised crime in the country through networks such as the Lawrence Bishnoi gang.

It also alleged that India was refusing to cooperate in the probe. India responded by saying that despite multiple requests, the Canadian government had failed to provide any evidence to back its charges.

After Canada labelled High Commissioner Sanjay Verma and other officials as “people of interest” in the investigation, India recalled the diplomats and expelled the top six Canadian diplomats, a move that Canada mirrored hours later.