'Speculative', 'inaccurate': Canada denies links between killing of Nijjar and PM Modi, Jaishankar and Doval

India-Canada ties remain troubled over Canada's alleged support to Khalistani separatists

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NEW DELHI/OTTAWA: The Canadian government has refuted a media report alleging the involvement of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval in a plot against a Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

Nathalie G Drouin, the Canadian Prime Minister's National Security and Intelligence Advisor, called the report "speculative and inaccurate" on Thursday, a day after India had already condemned it as a "smear campaign".

Quoting an unnamed senior national security official, The Globe and Mail newspaper on Tuesday reported that Canadian security agencies believe Prime Minister Modi knew about the killing of Nijjar and other violent plots. The official said Canadian and American intelligence tied the assassination operations to Home Affairs Minister Amit Shah. Also in the loop, the official said, was Doval and Jaishankar.