Updated Dec 22, 2023 ::: "Space given to terrorists, extremists is India's core issue with Canada," says MEA after Canadian PM says -- "I think there is a beginning of an understanding (in ties) ...."

The space given to terrorists and extremists remains India's core issue with Canada, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said on Thursday. 

The assertive remarks come a day after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau asserted that New Delhi's ties with Ottawa may have undergone a "tonal shift" after the US indictment of an Indian national in an alleged plot to kill a Sikh separatist (Gurpatwant Singh Pannun).

Bagchi

"Our position has been quite consistent," said MEA spokesman adding, "...and whenever this has been raised, we have highlighted how we see the problem".

He further stated: "The core issue remains the space that is given to extremists and terrorists and, anti-India elements in that country....I think you would have heard from the External Affairs Minister (Dr S Jaishankar) recently as well as others, about the developments of that case... and we would hope that they would take action on such extremist, elements that are misusing the freedom of speech and expression in their country".  

Notably, one such issue has been highlighted by the US also and India has already ordered a probe into it. 

On Dec 21st, Wednesday, Canadian PM Justin Trudeau told the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, "I think there is a beginning of an understanding that they can't bluster their way through this and there is an openness to collaborating in a way that perhaps they were less open before."

He said the US indictment appears to have convinced the Indian government to adopt a more sober tone. The ties between India and Canada came under severe strain following Trudeau's allegations on September 18 within days of G20 Summit of a "potential" involvement of Indian agents in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar on June 18 (2023) in British Columbia. 

Nijjar was designated as a 'terrorist' by Government of India in 2020. 

Nijjar 

One Nikhil Gupta was charged by the US federal prosecutors in November that he was allegedly involved 'with an Indian government employee' in a foiled plot to kill a Sikh separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in the US. Pannun holds dual citizenship of US and Canada and is said to be a leader of the Sikhs for Justice, an organisation banned in India.

Pannun: Holds US and Canadian Citizenship 

Canadian PM says -- "I think there is a beginning of an understanding (in ties) ....".  

On Dec 21 shortly after Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that if 'information' was provided, his government will look into key aspects of allegations of an "Indian' involvement in murder attempt against Sikh terrorist in US, his Canadian counterpart Justin Trudeau said -- 

"I think there is a beginning of an understanding that they can't bluster their way through this and there is an openness to collaborating in a way that perhaps they were less open before". The CBC quoted the Canadian Prime Minister also stating - 

"There's an understanding that maybe, maybe just churning out attacks against Canada isn't going to make this problem go away."

Trudeau also emphasised that Canada does not want to engage in a "fight with India right now over this" and stressed the importance of "standing up for people's safety and the rule of law".

"We want to be working on that trade deal. We want to be advancing the Indo-Pacific strategy. But it is foundational for Canada to stand up for people's rights, for people's safety, and for the rule of law. And that's what we're going to do," he  said.

“If a citizen of ours has done anything good or bad, we are ready to look into it. Our commitment is to the rule of law....If someone gives us any information, we would definitely look into it,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in his first comments on the issue of  charge against an 'Indian citizen' with plotting to assassinate a Sikh separatist leader on US soil. 

“I don’t think it is appropriate to link a few incidents with diplomatic relations between the two countries,” Modi was quoted by 'The Financial Times' as saying.

“There is strong bipartisan support for the strengthening of this relationship, which is a clear indicator of a mature and stable partnership,” the Prime Minister said. Last month, The Financial Times, citing unnamed officials, reported that the US "thwarted a conspiracy to assassinate" Sikh separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a US and Canadian citizen, on American soil. 

The newspaper also reported that the US government had "issued a warning" to India over concerns that New Delhi was "involved in the plot" to eliminate Pannun.  

The United States charged an Indian national with conspiring to assassinate a US citizen who advocated for a sovereign state for Sikhs, that is Khalistan, the US attorney’s office in Manhattan said.  

Nikhil Gupta was charged with murder-for-hire, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, and conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, which carries a maximum sentence of a 10-year jail term.  US authorities had said Gupta agreed to pay an assassin $100,000 to kill Pannun living in New York City.

The prosecutors had said Czech authorities arrested and detained Gupta on June 30, pursuant to the bilateral extradition treaty between the US and the Czech Republic.

Gupta was arrested in the Czech Republic at the request of the US in connection with his alleged participation in the plot to kill Pannun.  

“The defendant conspired from India to assassinate, right here in New York City, a US citizen of Indian origin who has publicly advocated for the establishment of a sovereign state for Sikhs,” Damian Williams, the top federal prosecutor in Manhattan, said in a statement.

The charges come after a senior Biden administration official last week said US authorities had thwarted a plot to kill a Sikh separatist in the United States and issued a warning to India over concerns the government in New Delhi was involved. 

 The External Affairs Ministry in India had earlier said it set up a “high-level” inquiry committee “to look into all the relevant aspects of the matter”. On November 29, the US Justice Department unsealed murder-for-hire charges against Nikhil Gupta, 52, “in connection with his participation in a foiled plot to assassinate a US citizen” of Indian origin in New York City, it said in a statement.

The Justice Department said the man allegedly targeted in the killing “is a vocal critic of the Indian government and leads a US-based organisation that advocates for the secession of Punjab,” a northern Indian state with a large population of Sikhs.

PM Modi’s comments come after the White House said it was treating an alleged plot to assassinate a Sikh separatist in the United States with “utmost seriousness,” and had raised the issue with the Indian government.

Canada and India had a major diplomatic row after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in September linked New Delhi to the June killing of Canadian citizen Hardeep Singh Nijjar, also a Sikh separatist.

The Modi government had called the Canadian allegations “absurd”. Modi also told the Financial Times that India was “deeply concerned about the activities of certain extremist groups based overseas”.

Modi also added that “these elements, under the guise of freedom of expression, have engaged in intimidation and incited violence”.