Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has once again reiterated the allegations made on India regarding the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar. He said Canada has tried to work constructively and positively with India.
Speaking to reporters, Trudeau said, "This is something that we are taking very seriously. We will continue to work with all partners as law enforcement and investigative agencies continue to do their work. Canada is a country that will always stand up for the rule of law. Because if it might start to make right, if bigger countries can violate international law without consequences, then the whole world gets more dangerous for everyone.”
Trudeau has also reached out to Canadian allies for their support on the allegations he levelled on India.
The Canadian PM said that India has violated the Vienna Convention by rescinding diplomatic immunity, following which 40 Canadian diplomats were evacuated from India.
"Think about it from our perspective. We have serious reasons to believe that agents of the government of India could have been involved in the killing of a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil. And India's response is to kick out a whole bunch of Canadian diplomats by violating their rights under the Vienna Convention. That is of concern to countries around the world,” said Trudeau, calling the move disappointing.
If a country can just decide that the diplomats of another country are no longer protected then that makes international relations dangerous and serious, said Trudeau. "This is not a fight we want to be having right now. But we will unequivocally always stand up for the rule of law because that's who Canada is," Trudeau further said.
Ties between the countries are at an all-time low after Trudeau accused India of being potentially involved in the killing of Khalistani leader, Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Nijjar was shot dead by two masked gunmen in Surrey.
In reference to Canada’s accusations of India violating Vienna Convention, the Ministry of External Affairs said that India was engaged with the Canadian side over the parity of diplomatic presence for a month. “Our actions in implementing this parity are fully consistent with Article 11.1 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations,” the MEA said, in a statement, futher adding that the reduction in the number of diplomats was necessitated by Canada’s “continued interference” in India’s internal matters. “We reject any attempt to portray the implementation of parity as a violation of international norms,” the ministry had stated.
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