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Canadian defence minister emphasises on investigation into Nijjar killing, urges cooperation between govts
In an interview with the outlet CBC News, minister of national defence Bill Blair said the “emphasis” should be “on the investigation that’s taking place, that we’d be able to move beyond credible intelligence to evidence, strong evidence of exactly what happened, so that we and the Indian Government can know the truth, have the facts and then work together to resolve it in an appropriate way.”
A senior Canadian Cabinet Minister has said the Government wants to shift from the intelligence-based “credible allegations” cited by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in linking Indian agents to the murder of Khalistani figure Hardeep Singh Nijjar, to “strong evidence” delivered through the ongoing investigation.
In an interview with the outlet CBC News, minister of national defence Bill Blair said the “emphasis” should be “on the investigation that’s taking place, that we’d be able to move beyond credible intelligence to evidence, strong evidence of exactly what happened, so that we and the Indian Government can know the truth, have the facts and then work together to resolve it in an appropriate way.”
The outlet reported that Blair “sought to shift focus away from questions of intelligence on Sunday and toward the ongoing criminal investigation into the issue.” The investigation is being led by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP).
“The only request we’ve made of our allies and India is that they co-operate fully in that investigation because its outcome is very important,” Blair said.
Blair, a former chief of Toronto Police, was earlier minister of public safety and emergency preparedness, the department closest to India’s ministry of home affairs, before getting the defence portfolio in the July reshuffle of the Cabinet.
So far, the Canadian Government has not detailed the “credible allegations” it has, though CBC News also reported that Ottawa has in its “possession” emails from Indian diplomats.
India has denied its involvement and described the allegations as “absurd” and “motivated” and called Canada a “safe haven for terrorists, for extremists and organized crime.”
Nijjar was gunned down in the parking lot of the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara in the town of Surrey in British Columbia province on June 18. He headed the gurdwara at the time he was killed, and was the principal figure in the province for the secessionist Sikhs For Justice or SFJ.
