New Delhi: Canada’s most recent envoy to India, Cameron MacKay, has alleged that the US indictment linking a former Indian agent to a foiled bid to assassinate Khalistani separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun reveals a “compelling and detailed portrait” of a singular plot originating from Delhi, aimed at killing multiple targets across North America, particularly in Canada and the US.
Canada and the US Investigate
In an interview with CBC News, MacKay, who departed India in August, asserted that both Canada and the US are investigating the matter. He described the Indian government’s actions as “a fiasco,” suggesting that they believed they could perpetrate crimes in Canada and the US without consequences.
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Diplomatic Tensions Escalate
The diplomatic relationship between India and Canada has sharply deteriorated following Ottawa’s recent allegations of Indian involvement in the assassination of Sikh extremist Hardeep Singh Nijjar on Canadian soil last year. In retaliation, New Delhi expelled Canadian Charge d’Affaires Stewart Wheeler and five other diplomats, who left New Delhi on Friday evening.
India responded by recalling its High Commissioner and five additional diplomats, who are also en route back to India. The Canadian government has claimed that Indian diplomats were expelled from Canada in this escalating dispute.
Links Between the Killings
MacKay alleged a connection between Nijjar’s killing and the failed attempt on Pannun’s life in the US. He remarked, “The indictment and the charges in the United States just yesterday, and then the indictment released on November 29, 2023, paint a compelling and rather detailed portrait of a single plot emanating from Delhi to kill multiple targets across North America.”
He further stated, “So you put those two indictments together with the evidence that was released and the comments made by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police on Monday, and you have a very clear picture of what has been going on for well over a year now.”
US Charges Against a Former Indian Official
The US has charged Vikas Yadav, a former Indian government official, in connection with the alleged plot to assassinate Pannun on American soil last year. The US Attorney’s Office in New York announced on Thursday that it has registered “murder-for-hire and money laundering charges” against Yadav.
Strained Relations Following Trudeau’s Allegations
Tensions between India and Canada intensified after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s allegations last September regarding the “potential” involvement of Indian agents in Nijjar’s killing. New Delhi has categorically rejected Trudeau’s accusations, labelling them “absurd.”
In a media briefing on Monday, Trudeau referred to findings by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), stating that there is “clear and compelling evidence” that Indian government agents have engaged in activities posing a significant threat to public safety. He cited “clandestine information gathering techniques, coercive behaviour targeting South Asian Canadians, and involvement in over a dozen threatening and violent acts, including murder,” as part of these activities. Trudeau claimed that such actions are “unacceptable” and noted that his government’s attempts to collaborate with India had yielded no results.
India has dismissed Trudeau’s charges outright. PTI
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Publish date : 2024-10-20 04:26:00
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