India’s High Commissioner to Canada, Dinesh Patnaik on Wednesday firmly dismissed allegations linking the Indian government to the killing of NIA-designated terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, questioning the absence of evidence supporting the claims.
In a televised interview on CBC News’ Power & Politics, Patnaik responded to allegations previously made by former Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau, repeatedly emphasising that accusations without proof cannot stand.
“Well, where is the evidence? Every time you keep on saying ‘credible information.’ We have always said it’s preposterous and absurd. It’s something we don’t do. These are allegations which have not been backed by evidence. There’s always easy-to-do acquisitions. Acquisitions are easy,” Patnaik said.
Patnaik said the ongoing legal proceedings in Canada do not implicate the Indian state and maintained that the allegations stem from statements made by the former prime minister and his associates rather than substantiated facts.
He pointed out that the case currently before the court involves four individuals and not a government, and questioned the basis for linking India as a state to the killing.
“We can go into who said what. At the end of the day, it’s about evidence on the ground,” Patnaik said, reiterating India’s position that it would act if credible proof were presented.
“We have said very clearly, if there is evidence ever coming out, if you provide us evidence, we will take action ourselves. We don’t need you to take action on that. What we need is for you to give us evidence for us to take action. You have accusations; you have to back it up with evidence. You can’t say I accuse you, and you have to now justify yourselves,” he added.
His remarks come amid strained India–Canada relations in recent years, largely driven by New Delhi’s concerns over what it views as Ottawa’s tolerance of Khalistani separatist elements.
Tensions escalated further after Canada alleged that Indian agents were involved in the 2023 killing of Nijjar outside a gurdwara in Canada. India has consistently rejected the allegations, describing them as “politically motivated.”
Meanwhile, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is expected to visit India in the coming weeks as both countries look to diversify their trading partnerships amid US President Donald Trump’s trade war.
The visit follows a commitment by the two leaders to initiate negotiations on a new trade pact, the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), announced during their meeting at the G20 Summit in South Africa last November.
