Canada is blaming India for crimes by the same criminals whose extradition New Delhi had sought: EAM spokesperson

Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal today criticized Canada for its reluctance to extradite members of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, a notorious Indian criminal organization with operations in Canada.

"We find it really strange that people we asked to be deported are now being claimed by Canadian cops to be committing crimes in Canada, for which India is being blamed," Jaiswal said, reported NDTV.

On India’s extradition requests, Jaiswal revealed that "26 are pending for a decade or more," along with several probational requests.

Since September 2023, diplomatic relations between India and Canada have deteriorated, largely due to the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused India of involvement in the killing, an allegation India has firmly denied.

Jaiswal reiterated India's position during a press briefing, stating that despite Canada's repeated claims, there remains "no shred of evidence" linking the Indian government to Nijjar's murder.

"We have made our position very clear through various press releases. Since September 2023, no evidence has been provided. Just last night, we issued another press release reiterating our stance," Jaiswal said, according to report.

"So far, Canada has not given any evidence to back their allegations. Their claims are politically motivated, and there's a clear pattern to smear India for reasons best known to them."

In response to the accusations, India recently withdrew its diplomats from Canada, citing safety concerns.

Canada then expelled several Indian officials, further straining bilateral relations.

"We value our strong trade ties with Canada and the people-to-people links, especially considering the large number of Indian students in Canada," Jaiswal stated.

"However, the current situation has been triggered entirely by the Trudeau government. Canada benefits from these relations, and India has shown restraint despite the provocations from Ottawa."

In a related development, the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) today named a former Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) officer, referred to as 'CC1,' in an indictment over a failed plot to assassinate another Khalistani figure, Gurpatwant Singh Pannun.

The US confirmed that the individual is "no longer employed by the Indian government," a claim Jaiswal corroborated.

US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller confirmed that India and the US are conducting separate but coordinated investigations into the plot. Miller said a "productive meeting" had taken place between Indian officials and US authorities.

In a surprising admission, Prime Minister Trudeau, during a public inquiry, acknowledged that Canada had no "hard evidentiary proof" supporting the allegations that Indian government agents were involved in Nijjar's killing.

Instead, Trudeau said his claims were based on intelligence.

"I was briefed on the fact that there was intelligence from Canada, and possibly from Five Eyes allies, that made it fairly clear, incredibly clear, that India was involved... Agents of the Indian government were involved in the killing of a Canadian on Canadian soil," Trudeau stated.

Hardeep Singh Nijjar, designated a terrorist by India’s National Investigation Agency in 2020, was shot dead outside a gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia, in June 2023.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) later said that six Indian diplomats were allegedly part of a plot to murder Nijjar.

The Canadian police also hinted at a connection between the Bishnoi gang and Indian government agents.

Trudeau revealed that Canada had the option to go public with the allegations during the G20 summit in New Delhi in September 2023 but chose not to.

"Our response was, well, it's within your security agencies," he explained.

"At that point, it was primarily intelligence, not hard evidentiary proof. So we said, let's work together and look into your security services."

Trudeau added that he confronted Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the G20 summit, claiming that Canada was aware of India's alleged involvement. He said PM Modi responded by expressing concerns about individuals in Canada critical of the Indian government, urging Canada to take action against them.