Prime Minister Justin Trudeau pushed back Tuesday on India香蕉视频直播檚 denial of allegations that it played a role in the death of a Canadian citizen, which New Delhi blasted as 香蕉视频直播渁bsurd and motivated.香蕉视频直播�
Yet while Trudeau is urging India to take the matter seriously, Liberals also say they hope to maintain normal ties with a country Ottawa has selected as a key partner in the Indo-Pacific.
Trudeau revealed in the House of Commons on Monday that Canadian intelligence services are investigating 香蕉视频直播渃redible香蕉视频直播� information about 香蕉视频直播渁 potential link香蕉视频直播� between India香蕉视频直播檚 government and the death of British Columbia Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
Trudeau said Tuesday thatIndia香蕉视频直播檚 government 香蕉视频直播渘eeds to take this matter with the utmost seriousness香蕉视频直播� but would not say whether it is co-operating.
香蕉视频直播淚t is extremely serious and it has far-reaching consequences in international law,香蕉视频直播� he told reporters on Parliament Hill.
Trudeau said he waited until he was able to raise the issue with allies and with India香蕉视频直播檚 Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the G20 summit in New Delhi earlier this month before telling the public about the possible link.
香蕉视频直播淲e wanted to make sure that we had a solid grounding in understanding what was going on in analysis and indeed in facts,香蕉视频直播� Trudeau said.
香蕉视频直播淲e wanted to make sure we were taking the time to talk with our allies, to share what we knew. We wanted to make sure that we fully shared with the government of India, the seriousness and the depths of our preoccupations and indeed conclusions.香蕉视频直播�
On Monday,Ottawa ordered a senior Indian diplomat to leave Canada, and India responded by sending an unnamed Canadian diplomat packing, citing unspecified 香蕉视频直播渋nterference of Canadian diplomats in our internal matters and their involvement in anti-India activities.香蕉视频直播�
India香蕉视频直播檚 ministry of external affairs said after Trudeau香蕉视频直播檚 announcement that it rejects the accusations, arguing they mean to distract from Sikh separatists in Canada that New Delhi argue pose a security risk.
香蕉视频直播淭he inaction of the Canadian government on this matter has been a long-standing and continuing concern,香蕉视频直播� reads a statement from the ministry, which was posted before Trudeau香蕉视频直播檚 comments on Tuesday morning.
A senior government source who is close to the prime minister said Trudeau was confident enough in the allegations that he opted to raise them directly with Modi in New Delhi.
The source, who was granted anonymity because they were not authorized to speak about the matter publicly, said Trudeau opted to share the news to clear the air in response to mounting questions from the media and rumours in diaspora communities about India香蕉视频直播檚 involvement.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said Trudeau ought to share more information about what led him to make his Monday statement in Parliament. He said the prime minister did not share more details with him than what he had said in the House of Commons.
香蕉视频直播淲e need to see more facts. The prime minister hasn香蕉视频直播檛 provided any facts,香蕉视频直播� he told reporters Tuesday on Parliament Hill.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh has written to the newly appointed head of the public inquiry on foreign interference, asking Justice Marie-Jos茅e Hogue to include India in her probe. The Liberals have suggested her terms are wide enough to include any country as well as the Nijjar case.
香蕉视频直播淚n my experience, as a Sikh-Canadian, there have always been suspicions that India was interfering in the democratic rights of Canadians,香蕉视频直播� Singh wrote in the letter. 香蕉视频直播淵esterday香蕉视频直播檚 announcement by the prime minister confirms that these suspicions are valid.香蕉视频直播�
Global Affairs Canada would not disclose the name of the diplomat that India has decided to expel. Foreign Affairs Minister M茅lanie Joly said Monday that Canada香蕉视频直播檚 high commission has taken extra steps to protect its staff.
The United States, United Kingdom and Australia have all issued statements calling for theallegationsto be thoroughly probed.
香蕉视频直播淲e are deeply concerned about the allegations referenced by Prime Minister Trudeau yesterday,香蕉视频直播� the U.S. Embassy in Ottawa said in a statement.
香蕉视频直播淲e remain in regular contact with our Canadian partners. It is critical that Canada香蕉视频直播檚 investigation proceed and the perpetrators be brought to justice.香蕉视频直播�
Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc had confirmed Monday that the head of Canada香蕉视频直播檚 spy agency and Trudeau香蕉视频直播檚 national security and intelligence adviser, Jody Thomas, both travelled to India recently to confront their counterparts about the issue.
Thomas香蕉视频直播檚 predecessor, Vincent Rigby, said that would not have happened if Ottawa only had 香蕉视频直播渁 hunch or a gut feeling香蕉视频直播� about the intelligence.
香蕉视频直播淭hey have something, I suspect. I have a feeling it香蕉视频直播檚 pretty concrete, and it香蕉视频直播檚 enough to raise it to the most senior levels in the Indian government,香蕉视频直播� Rigby said in an interview.
He said Washington will likely support Canada in private, but will need to sort out how much it香蕉视频直播檚 willing to upset New Delhi as the U.S. undertakes a 香蕉视频直播渕ajor charm offensive香蕉视频直播� to secure more trade with India.
Nijjar was shot outside his gurdwara in Surrey, B.C., on June 18. Members of the Sikh community have accused the Indian government of being behind the killing and attempting to silence voices advocating for an independent Sikh country.
LeBlanc said Tuesday that the RCMP has a plan to look after members of Canada香蕉视频直播檚 Sikh community, and he has instructed CSIS to share any pertinent information about Nijjar香蕉视频直播檚 death with police.
香蕉视频直播淲e knew, as the prime minister has been saying for several weeks, that this news would at some point come out publicly. And the good news is that the RCMP has been developing plans for several weeks with their partners from other police forces,香蕉视频直播� LeBlanc said in French.
He added that it is the jurisdiction of police officials, not government ministers, to determine who should receive protection and how.
香蕉视频直播淚 have every confidence in the RCMP based on my extensive conversations with their leadership over the last number of months that they have the resources necessary and the plans in place to protect Canadians,香蕉视频直播� LeBlanc saidin English.
Former foreign-affairs minister Marc Garneau said the situation is 香蕉视频直播渜uite an extraordinary event香蕉视频直播� and argued Trudeau needs to share more information if there香蕉视频直播檚 any hope of salvaging a relationship with a country of increasing importance to Canada.
香蕉视频直播淣ow that it香蕉视频直播檚 in the public arena, the onus is very much on Canada to demonstrate unequivocally that its claim is based on factual evidence, that is irrefutable evidence that India won香蕉视频直播檛 be able to deny,香蕉视频直播� Garneau said in a Tuesday interview on an unrelated topic.
Garneau said India regularly raised the issue of Sikh extremists with him while in office, and that Ottawa was aware of New Delhi香蕉视频直播檚 interference in Canada back when its Indo-Pacific strategy was first being drafted.
香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 always preferable to remain engaged, rather than close the door,香蕉视频直播� he said. But to 香蕉视频直播渞esume productive relations,香蕉视频直播� he said, 香蕉视频直播渨e need to resolve the extremely serious issue that香蕉视频直播檚 at hand.香蕉视频直播�
Trudeau said he does not want to make things worse for relations with India.
香蕉视频直播淲e are not looking to provoke or escalate. We are simply laying out the facts as we understand them, and we want to work with the government of India to lay everything clear.香蕉视频直播�
Emergency Preparedness Minister Harjit Sajjan suggested he hopes Canada can maintain normal relations with India despite the incident.
香蕉视频直播淩ight now, we香蕉视频直播檙e hopeful that the Indian government co-operates with the investigation. When it comes to all the other relationships that we have, we look forward to continuing as normal,香蕉视频直播� he said.
Sajjan, who is Sikh, pushed back on the Indian government香蕉视频直播檚 contention that Sikh extremists have senior roles in Trudeau香蕉视频直播檚 government.
香蕉视频直播淚ndia香蕉视频直播檚 been making those accusations for a very long time,香蕉视频直播� he said, encouraging reporters to 香蕉视频直播渄raw your own conclusions.香蕉视频直播�
Treasury Board President Anita Anand, the first Hindu person to become a federal cabinet minister, said it香蕉视频直播檚 香蕉视频直播渁 very difficult time香蕉视频直播� for South Asians of any religion, noting her parents are from India.
She urged people to 香蕉视频直播渂e prudent香蕉视频直播� and remain calm.
The National Council of Canadian Muslims is calling for non-partisan co-operation to uncover facts about the alleged 香蕉视频直播渟tate-sponsored terrorism香蕉视频直播� and make sure nobody else is targeted.
香蕉视频直播淭his is an unprecedented attack on Canadian sovereignty, full stop,香蕉视频直播� the group香蕉视频直播檚 head Stephen Brown told reporters.
READ ALSO:
READ ALSO:
