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India not ruling out probe, told Canada to share evidence: Jaishankar on Hardeep Nijjar killing
Hardeep Singh Nijjar had a pretty graphic track record, the positions he held were not secret, Jaishankar said.
External affairs minister S Jaishankar said India did not rule out an investigation but Canada has not shared any evidence against 'Indian agents' involved in the murder of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, as publicly alleged by Canada. The comments from the minister came during a conversation with journalist Lionel Barber titled 'How a Billion People See the World' in London. Amid the ongoing diplomatic crisis between India and Canada, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau last week said Canada did not want the fight with India but if bigger countries can violate international law without consequences, then the whole world gets more dangerous for everyone.
On the issue, Jaishankar said, "We feel that Canadian politics has given space to violent and extreme political opinions which advocate separatism from India, including through violent means. These people have been accommodated in Canadian politics. They are given the freedom to articulate their views."
The Canadian authorities did not take any action when there was an attack on the high commission and the diplomats were intimidated in public on record, Jaishankar said. Calling Canada a country with a previous history, Jaishankar referred to the bombing of an Air India flight and said, "We are a democracy, they are a democracy. Freedom of speech and freedom of expression also comes with a certain responsibility. The misuse of those freedoms and the toleration of that misuse for political purposes would be very wrong..."
"Regarding Trudeau, I have discussed it with my counterpart -- I still do -- we told them look, if you have a reason to make such an allegation, please share the evidence with us. We are not ruling out an investigation and looking at anything which they may have to offer. They haven't done so," Jaishankar said.
On a question on Hardeep Singh Nijjar as to whether Jaishankar believed he was a terrorist, the foreign minister said, “He has a track record which is there in the social media. That track record is a pretty graphic one. I would leave everybody to make their judgement. He held public positions.”
Amid the India-Canada row, over 40 Canadian diplomats were shifted out of India after New Delhi raised the issue of a disparity in the number of diplomats. Canada had a higher number of diplomats present in India and New Delhi accused them of interfering in India's internal affairs.
