Fri Nov 22 07:11:28 UTC 2024: ## Canada Retracts Link Between Indian Leaders and Khalistan Activist’s Murder
**New Delhi, November 22, 2024** – The Canadian government issued a clarification on Friday, stating it lacks evidence linking Prime Minister Narendra Modi, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, and National Security Adviser Ajit Doval to the June 2023 murder of pro-Khalistan activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. This follows a Canadian news report, based on an unnamed national security official’s disclosure, alleging their involvement in the assassination.
The Canadian government described the information in the initial report as “speculative and inaccurate.” While acknowledging the RCMP’s October 14th public accusation of Indian government agents’ involvement in serious criminal activity in Canada, they emphasized they have no evidence linking the three top Indian officials to the crime.
India had vehemently denounced the earlier report as a smear campaign, further straining already tense relations between the two countries. The Canadian accusation, initially focusing on Home Minister Amit Shah as the mastermind behind the alleged plot, prompted India to withdraw its High Commissioner and other diplomats from Canada.
The situation remains volatile, with Canada continuing to investigate the murder and India maintaining its denial of any involvement at the highest levels of government. The differing accounts highlight a significant rift between the two nations.
First Piper 