Canada’s main federal opposition leader Pierre Poilievre has urged Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to furnish more facts which prompted him to call out India for the killing of pro-Khalistan activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
Nijjar was a designated terrorist in India and headed the secessionist Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF).
“The Prime Minister needs to come clean with all the facts. We need to know all the evidence possible so that Canadians can make judgments on that,” Poilievre, the leader of the Conservative Party of Canada (CPC), told reporters in Ottawa on Tuesday.
Poilievre warned that risks involved were “real” if Trudeau’s allegation against India were found to be untrue.
“We need the evidence that allowed the Prime Minister to come to the conclusion he made yesterday,” the CPC leader stressed when asked what proof he wanted the Canadian Prime Minister to reveal.
On Monday, the opposition leader had said in a statement that if Trudeau’s allegations were true, they would be tantamount to an “outrageous affront” to Canada’s sovereignty.
Trudeau Sparks Diplomatic Row with India
The Canadian Prime Minister sparked a major diplomatic row with India after he told the House of Commons on Monday that Ottawa had “credible allegations” linking Indian government “agents” to the killing of Nijjar, reportedly shot dead in Surrey, British Columbia, by unidentified men in June.
Following Trudeau’s charges against India, Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly announced that Ottawa had expelled a senior Indian diplomat from the country over claims of foreign interference.
In a swift diplomatic response, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) summoned the Canadian High Commissioner and told him that New Delhi has expelled a Canadian diplomat in India for “anti-India activities”.
India Issues Advisory for its Citizens in Canada
Meanwhile, the MEA on Wednesday called upon the Indian citizens and students in Canada or travelling to the country to "exercise utmost caution".
"In view of growing anti-India activities and politically-condoned hate crimes and criminal violence in Canada, all Indian nationals there and those contemplating travel are urged to exercise utmost caution," the Indian advisory read.
It noted that that "threats" have been issued against Indian diplomats and members of the Indian community opposed to the "anti-India agenda".
The advisory urged Indians to avoid travelling to regions and "potential venues" where these incidents have taken place in the past few months.