India asks for proof; briefs allies on Ottawa's attitude

The Indian government has responded with alacrity to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s allegation that the country was involved in the killing of Canadian citizen and Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar on June 19 in Surrey, Vancouver, seeking evidence from Ottawa, offering to cooperate in the investigation, and briefing its key allies about both the emptiness of Trudeau’s charge and Canada’s tolerance and encouragement of terrorists and separatists working against India and Indian interests.

- Shishir Gupta

According to several senior officials, the response, across several dimensions, follows a meeting of top foreign ministry and national security officials in the new Parliament building on Wednesday morning. At one level, this response has taken the form of demanding that Canada come true on the allegation against Indian intelligence agencies. At another, it has taken the form of a message, using diplomatic channels, to Ottawa that India is ready to join the investigation in Canada, contingent on the evidence. And at a third, it has taken the form of an outreach by the country’s national security planners to India’s key allies in the West including the US and to Australia that Indian intelligence agencies had nothing to do with the killing and that the charges are baseless and motivated by local political calculus.