Canada PM Trudeau avoids questions on India rejecting allegations relating to Nijjar's killing

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Thursday refrained from answering questions about India rejecting claims relating to killing of a prominent Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

Trudeau was posed with questions by PTI during his visit to the United Nations Headquarters to attend the high-level 78th session of the UN General Assembly. However, the leader did not respond and walked away, surrounded by his security detail.

On Wednesday, he spoke at the Climate Ambition Summit, the UN Security Council meeting on Ukraine and at the Global Carbon Pricing event at an especially constructed SDG Pavilion in the UN premises.


India has strongly rejected Trudeau's statement made in the Canadian Parliament and said "allegations of Government of India's involvement in any act of violence in Canada are absurd and motivated."

Trudeau has made allegations in the Canadian Parliament of the involvement of "agents of the Indian government" in the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, 45, the chief of the banned Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF).

Nijjar was one of India's most-wanted terrorists who carried a cash reward of Rs 10 lakh on his head and was shot dead by two unidentified gunmen outside a gurdwara in Surrey in the western Canadian province of British Columbia on June 18.

Bilateral ties between India and Canada have been tense in recent months. Trade talks have been derailed and Canada just cancelled trade talks.

Amid the growing diplomatic row between the two countries, India on Wednesday advised all its citizens living in Canada and those contemplating travelling there to exercise "utmost caution" in view of growing anti-India activities and "politically-condoned" hate crimes in the North American country.

In a strongly-worded advisory, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in New Delhi referred to "threats" targeting Indian diplomats and sections of the Indian community that oppose the "anti-India agenda", and asked Indian nationals to avoid travelling to regions and potential venues in Canada which have seen such incidents.

Canada's Immigration Minister Marc Miller sought to reassure Indian nationals on Wednesday that it is safe to travel to the country even as a leader of the Sikh separatist movement banned in India has announced plans for rallies in Canadian cities on Monday that seek the closing of New Delhi's diplomatic missions here, The Globe and Mail newspaper reported.

(With inputs from PTI)