File Picture : ANI
In a significant shift in its position, the Canadian federal government has said that it now believes India is no longer linked to violent crimes in Canada.
A senior official said this during a media briefing ahead of Prime Minister Mark Carney’s upcoming visit to India, the Toronto Star has reported. The statement came during a briefing with journalists ahead of Carney’s trip, with senior government officials cited by the Canadian English daily Toronto Star.
“We have a very robust diplomatic engagement, including between national security advisers, and I think we can say we’re confident that that activity is not continuing,” one of the senior officials, who did not want to be named, said on Wednesday.
According to the report, the statement suggests that Canadian authorities do not see ongoing foreign interference or violent activity tied to India at present. The remarks come as Carney prepares for a nine-day trip that includes stops in Mumbai and New Delhi, where he is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The visit is being framed as part of Ottawa’s effort to pursue a more ‘pragmatic’ foreign policy and deepen economic ties with India, the world’s most populous country.
Nijjar killing caused diplomatic rift
Relations between the two countries deteriorated sharply after the June 2023 killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar outside a gurdwara in British Columbia.
Months later, then Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said there was ‘credible’ evidence linking agents of the Indian government to Nijjar’s death, an allegation New Delhi strongly denied.
The dispute led to the expulsion of diplomats from both countries and a prolonged diplomatic standoff.
In 2024, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) further claimed that Indian government agents were linked to violent crime in Canada, including death threats and alleged involvement in homicides.
