Not ruling out probe but Canada should provide evidence: S Jaishankar
S Jaishankar said on Wednesday that India is not ruling out an investigation into the killing of a Canadian Sikh activist in British Columbia, but said Canada must provide evidence in support of its allegations that agents of the Indian government were potentially involved in the murder.
Jaishankar was responding to questions from veteran journalist Lionel Barber during a conversation titled ‘How a Billion People See the World' in London.
“If you have a reason to make such an allegation please share the evidence because we are not ruling out an investigation,” said Jaishankar, who is on a five-day official visit to the UK.
He said Canada has not shared any evidence with India to support its allegations.
The minister further said freedom of speech and freedom of expression come with a certain responsibility and the misuse of those freedoms and the toleration of that misuse for political purposes would be very wrong.
Referring to the attacks on the High Commission of India in Canada, he said Indian diplomats were intimidated in public, with no action from the authorities against culprits.
India-Canada ties touched a new low, following Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's allegations in September of a “potential” involvement of Indian agents in the killing of Khalistan supporter Hardeep Singh Nijjar on June 18.
India had designated Nijjar as a terrorist in 2020.
India rejected Trudeau’s allegations as “absurd” and “motivated”.
India resumed some visa services in Canada in October, more than a month after they were suspended.
On China, Jaishankar said the 2020 deadly clash had vitiated the relationship between the two countries, referring to the violent face-off between the soldiers of the two countries in
