(Ottawa) Security concerns within the Sikh community – and the need to deter India – played a role in the decision to publicly reveal a possible link between the Indian government and the killing of a Canadian, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in an interview.
Published at 8:00 p.m.
Mickey Djuric The Canadian Press
In September, Mr. Trudeau made the stunning revelation in the House of Commons that there was credible intelligence linking the Indian government to the June 18 shooting of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar outside his gurdwara in Surrey, England. British Columbia.
British Columbia's Sikh community is worried about what might happen next, Trudeau said Monday in a year-end interview with The Canadian Press. The prime minister said the message he delivered in the House of Commons that day was intended to provide an additional “level of deterrence” to ensure better security for Canadians.
The allegations have further exacerbated already tense relations between the Liberal government and the government of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who continues to deny any connection to the assassination.
PHOTO MANISH SWARUP, RELATED PRESS ARCHIVES
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi
In the interview, Trudeau said his public statement was the result of weeks of “quiet diplomacy,” which included leveling the allegations against India at the highest levels.
That included a conversation Mr. Trudeau had with Mr. Modi during the G20 summit in New Delhi, where the two leaders met behind closed doors for 16 minutes.
“We knew the talks would be difficult, but we also knew this was an important moment for India to demonstrate its leadership on the global stage with the G20,” Trudeau said.
“And we felt we could use this as a constructive opportunity to work together.” »
Asked whether those discussions were constructive, Mr. Trudeau replied bluntly: “No.”
Mr. Trudeau made it clear that he decided to make the announcement on September 18 because he expected the information to be released to the media at some point. He wanted Canadians to know that the government had the situation under control.
The Globe and Mail published the story shortly before Mr. Trudeau entered the House of Representatives.
“Too many Canadians were worried about being at risk,” Trudeau said in this week’s interview, adding that the Sikh community in British Columbia had raised concerns shortly after Mr. Nijjar’s killing.
PHOTO CHRIS HELGREN, Portal
Hardeep Singh Nijjar
“We felt that all the quiet diplomacy and all the measures that we took – and we made sure that our security services were deployed to keep people in the community safe – required an additional level of deterrence, perhaps “through public, loud and clear statements.” that we know: or that we have credible reasons to believe that the Indian government is behind it, he said. And so it stops them from pursuing or thinking about something like that. »
Mr. Trudeau also noted that Canada had warned India that its findings would eventually come to light, and that even if Ottawa managed to keep things “at the diplomatic level” before the G20 summit, after the event couldn't control much.
Mr. Trudeau also said he didn't know whether it would come to light through leaks, the public inquiry into foreign interference or because things had reached a threshold “where we had a duty to protect Canadians.” » through the Publication.
Important diplomatic answers
Mr. Trudeau's Sept. 18 announcement was met with immediate calls for evidence, not just from India but also from Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre, who called on the Liberal leader to “tell the truth.”
India responded by temporarily suspending its visa services to Canada and to Canadian citizens around the world. Canada also withdrew most of its diplomatic presence in India after New Delhi threatened to remove diplomatic immunity for these individuals and their families. Mr. Trudeau called the decision a violation of the Vienna Convention.
“They chose to attack us and undermine us with a level of disinformation in their media that was comical,” Mr. Trudeau said.
“ [Cela] would have been even weirder if it hadn't had a real impact on people's lives and on the relationships between our two countries, which are so deep in terms of the relationships between people and the flow of connections between us are dependent. »
India, the world's most populous country, responded differently when U.S. prosecutors alleged last month that an Indian government official led a plot to assassinate a prominent Sikh separatist leader in New York. The US indictment pointed to a connection to Mr Nijjar's case.
Instead of denying this outright, India agreed to set up a “high-level” committee to look into the US issue.
A spokesman for the Indian High Commission in Ottawa referred to comments by the country's foreign minister in Parliament last week that the United States had provided evidence and Canada had not.
“As far as the United States is concerned, some data has been shared with us as part of our security cooperation with the United States,” Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said in response to a question from a member last Thursday.
“This information concerned us because it related to the connection between organized crime, human trafficking and other issues. Since this has implications for our own national security, it was decided to launch an investigation into this matter and set up a commission of inquiry. »
In the case of Canada, Mr Jaishankar argued, “no specific evidence or information has been presented to us.” He added: “The question of fair treatment of two countries, one of which has provided data and the other has not, does not arise.”
In the interview, Trudeau said Canada intends to disclose evidence in the same way the United States did when “we reach those points in the investigation.”
He pointed out that the US authorities had already begun their investigation into attempted murder.
“Canada is investigating a murder and the issues are different and our justice system has different processes,” he said. But it happens. »