Trudeau accuses India of ‘covert ops, coercion, threats’ against Canadians amid row
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau voiced strong concerns about India’s activities in Canada, following a report by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). Trudeau said the RCMP has “clear and compelling evidence” that agents of the Indian government are involved in activities threatening public safety, including clandestine operations and coercion targeting South Asian Canadians, further escalating the diplomatic row between the two countries.
This comes after India recalled its top envoy to Ottawa and expelled six Canadian diplomats from the country.
The prime minister revealed that Canadian officials had made multiple attempts to collaborate with Indian authorities, but these efforts were rejected. “This is unacceptable,” Trudeau said, noting that the lack of cooperation from India had hindered further progress.
“This is why this weekend Canadian officials took an extraordinary step. They met with Indian officials to share RCMP evidence which concluded that six agents of the Government of India are persons of interest in criminal activities,” he stated.
Trudeau emphasised the seriousness of the situation, urging India to cooperate with ongoing investigations.
Acknowledging the deep concerns and fears gripping the Indo-Canadian and Sikh communities in the wake of recent revelations, Trudeau said that he understands why many are “angry, upset, and frightened.”
“Canada-India has a long history rooted in people-to-people ties, business, and trade. But we cannot abide by what we are seeing right now. Canada fully respects the sovereignty and territorial integrity of India, and we expect the Indian government to do the same for Canada. As PM, it is my responsibility to provide reassurance to those who are feeling that the safety has been compromised, but most importantly, it is my responsibility to take action,” he stated.
Trudeau highlighted the importance of a recent high-level security meeting between Canada and India, following his conversation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Trudeau said he emphasised the importance of the upcoming talks between their national security advisors in Singapore.
“During my conversation with Prime Minister Modi last week, I stressed the critical importance of the upcoming meeting between our national security advisors in Singapore. He was fully aware of the significance, and I urged him to ensure that the meeting is treated with the utmost seriousness,” he said.
