India has rejected allegations by Canada.
In a statement, MEA said, "We have seen and reject the statement of the Canadian Prime Minister in their Parliament, as also the statement by their Foreign Minister. Allegations of Government of India's involvement in any act of violence in Canada are absurd and motivated."
"Similar allegations were made by the Canadian Prime Minister to our Prime Minister, and were completely rejected. We are a democratic polity with a strong commitment to rule of law," it said.
"Such unsubstantiated allegations seek to shift the focus from Khalistani terrorists and extremists, who have been provided shelter in Canada and continue to threaten India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. The inaction of the Canadian Government on this matter has been a long-standing and continuing concern."
The statement also said, "That Canadian political figures have openly expressed sympathy for such elements remains a matter of deep concern. The space given in Canada to a range of illegal activities including murders, human trafficking and organised crime is not new. We reject any attempts to connect Government of India to such developments."
"We urge the Government of Canada to take prompt and effective legal action against all anti-India elements operating from their soil," the MEA said.
Indian government's reactions came as Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Tuesday alleged that the country's security agencies were 'investigating' a link between the Indian government and the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar earlier this year.
"Canadian security agencies have been actively pursuing credible allegations of a potential link between agents of the Government of India and the killing of a Canadian citizen, Hardeep Singh Nijjar," Trudeau said while speaking at the House of Commons in Ottawa.
"Canada has declared its deep concerns to the top intelligence security officials of the Indian government. Last week, at the G20, I brought them personally and directly to Prime Minister Modi in no uncertain terms," the Canadian Prime Minister said.
Nijjar was declared as a designated terrorist by India in 2020.
On June 18, Nijjar, the chief of Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF), was shot dead outside a gurdwara by two unidentified assailants.
Nijjar reportedly moved to Canada in 1997 using a fake passport. His refugee claim was rejected, following which, he married a woman who sponsored him for immigration, which too was rejected.
Later, Trudeau referred to him as a Canadian in the House of Commons.
Nijjar was declared as a designated terrorist by India in 2020. According to security agencies, Nijjar was actively involved in recruiting and training people for the banned terrorist outfit, KTF. He was also a part of the separatist outfit Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), which held a Khalistan referendum on September 10.
Over the years, India had, several times, communicated its concerns about Nijjar's links to terrorist activities. In 2018, former Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh handed over a list of wanted persons to Justin Trudeau with Nijjar's name included.
Then in 2022, the Punjab Police sought the extradition of Nijjar as he was wanted in cases related to spreading terrorism in the state. Nijjar was wanted in several cases, including the 2007 blast that killed six and injured 42 in the city of Ludhiana in Punjab.
In 2010, the Punjab Police filed a case against the Khalistani terrorist for his alleged role in the bomb blast near a temple in Patiala. UK-based Paramjit Singh Pamma, another wanted terrorist, was one of the main accused in the case.
In 2015, another case was filed against Nijjar for his alleged role in "targeting Hindu leaders" and yet another case was lodged against him in 2016, pertaining to his alleged "involvement in the training and funding of Mandeep Dhaliwal and hatching a conspiracy to kill "Hindu leaders".
A Look Out Circular (LOC) and a Red Corner Notice (RCN) were also issued against the Nijjar in 2015 and 2016.
In 2018, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) said it was probing Hardeep Singh Nijjar's involvement in the killing of RSS leaders in Punjab. In 2022, the NIA declared a Rs 10 lakh reward on Nijjar after he was accused of conspiring to kill a Hindu priest in Punjab's Jalandhar.
Meanwhile, BJP leader Harjit Singh Grewal said, "Ever since Justin Trudeau became the PM of Canada, Khalistani activities have increased there, and there is no attempt being made to stop them."
"This is actually an issue of their own country, and this is their PM's attempt to divert people's attention from that".
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