The Canadian government on Friday, November 22, denied liking Prime Minister Narendra Modi, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval to criminal activities within Canada.
According to a statement from the national security and intelligence advisor to the Canadian prime minister, Nathalie G. Drouin, "The government of Canada has not stated, nor is it aware of evidence, linking Prime Minister Modi, Minister Jaishankar, or NSA Doval to the serious criminal activity within Canada.”
"Any suggestion to the contrary is both speculative and inaccurate,” it added. The statement also said on October 14, because of a “significant and ongoing threat to public safety”, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police or RCMP and officials took the “extraordinary step of making public accusations of serious criminal activity in Canada perpetrated by agents of the Government of India”.
The statement from the Canadian government comes after India on November 20 strongly refuted a report in the Canada-based Globe and Mail newspaper that attempted to draw a connection between the death of NIA-designated terrorist Hardeep Nijjar to PM Narendra Modi, S Jaishankar and Ajit Doval.
Quoting the report, “While Canada does not have direct evidence that Mr. Modi knew, the official said, the assessment is that it would be unthinkable that three senior political figures in India would not have discussed the targeted killings with Mr. Modi before proceeding.”