In touch with Canadian partners over Trudeau's allegations on India: UK

The Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom, James Cleverly, on Tuesday said his government was in regular contact with its Canadian partners over allegations raised in the Canadian Parliament about India's alleged role in the killing of Khalistani leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

Cleverly added that all countries should respect sovereignty.

Taking on his official handle social media platform 'X', Cleverly posted, "All countries should respect sovereignty and the rule of law. We are in regular contact with our Canadian partners about serious allegations raised in the Canadian Parliament."

The UK Foreign Secretary stressed further that it was important that Canada's investigation into allegations of Indian involvement in the killing of the pro-Khalistan leader runs its course.

"Important that Canada's investigation runs its course and the perpetrators brought to justice," the statement quoting him added.

 

Earlier, on Tuesday, India rejected the allegations by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau that India was behind the fatal shooting of Khalistan Tiger Force chief and a wanted terrorist in India, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, in Canada.

In a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) termed the allegations 'absurd 'and 'motivated'.

"We have seen and rejected the statement of the Canadian Prime Minister in their Parliament, as also the statement by their Foreign Minister," the MEA said in an official statement."

Allegations of the Indian government's "involvement in any act of violence in Canada are absurd and motivated", the MEA release added.

The Indian response came a day after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau claimed an Indian hand in the fatal shooting of the Khalistan Tiger Force chief in Canada.

Nijjar, who was wanted in India, was gunned down outside a Gurdwara, in a parking area in Canada's Surrey, British Columbia on June 18.

Speaking during a debate in the Canadian Parliament, PM Trudeau on Monday claimed his country's national security officials had reasons to believe that "agents of the Indian government" carried out the killing of the Canadian citizen, who also served as the president of Surrey's Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara.

"Canadian security agencies have been actively pursuing credible allegations of a potential link between agents of the Government of India and the killing of a Canadian citizen, Hardeep Singh Nijjar," Trudeau said.

He stated that the involvement of a foreign hand or government in the killing of a Canadian citizen in Canada was unacceptable.