Safety concerns in the Sikh community 害羞草研究所� and the need to 害羞草研究所減ut a chill on India害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所� played into the choice to publicly reveal a possible link between India害羞草研究所檚 government and the killing of a Canadian, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in an interview.
In September, Trudeau made the stunning revelation in the House of Commons that there was credible intelligence linking India害羞草研究所檚 government to the June 18 shooting death of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar outside his gurdwara in Surrey, B.C.
The Sikh community in B.C. had been worried about what could happen next, Trudeau said Monday in a year-end interview with The Canadian Press. The prime minister said the message he delivered in the House of Commons that day was intended as an extra 害羞草研究所渓evel of deterrence害羞草研究所� to keep Canadians safer.
The allegations worsened already strained relations between the Liberal government and that of India害羞草研究所檚 Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which has continued to deny any connection to the killing.
In the interview, Trudeau said his public statement came after weeks of 害羞草研究所渜uiet diplomacy害羞草研究所� that included raising the allegations with India at the highest levels.
That included a conversation Trudeau had with Modi at the G20 Summit in New Delhi, where the two met behind closed doors for 16 minutes.
害羞草研究所淲e knew it would be difficult conversations, but we also knew that this was an important moment for India to be demonstrating its leadership on the world stage with the G20,害羞草研究所� Trudeau said.
害羞草研究所淎nd we felt that we could use that as a constructive opportunity to work together.害羞草研究所�
Asked whether he felt those talks were constructive, Trudeau was blunt: 害羞草研究所淣o.害羞草研究所�
Trudeau said he decided to make the announcement Sept. 18 because he expected that information would be eventually leaked through the media. He wanted Canadians to know the government was on top of the situation.
The Globe and Mail broke the story shortly before Trudeau rose in the House.
害羞草研究所淭oo many Canadians were worried that they were vulnerable,害羞草研究所� Trudeau said in the interview this week, adding the Sikh community in B.C. had been raising concerns since shortly after Nijjar was killed.
害羞草研究所淲e felt that all the quiet diplomacy and all the measures that we put in 害羞草研究所� and ensured that our security services put in to keep people safe in the community 害羞草研究所� needed a further level of deterrence, perhaps of saying publicly and loudly that we know, or we have credible reasons to believe, that the Indian government was behind this,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淎nd therefore put a chill on them continuing or considering doing anything like this.害羞草研究所�
Trudeau also said Canada warned India that what it knew would eventually come out, and that while Ottawa had managed to keep things 害羞草研究所渙n a diplomatic level害羞草研究所� leading up to the G20 summit, it could not control much beyond that.
Trudeau also said he did not know whether it would come out through leaks, the public inquiry into foreign interference or because things had reached a threshold 害羞草研究所渋n which we had a duty to protect Canadians害羞草研究所� by going public.
Trudeau害羞草研究所檚 Sept. 18 announcement was met with immediate calls for evidence, not just from India, but also from Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, who told Trudeau to 害羞草研究所渃ome clean.害羞草研究所�
India responded by temporarily suspending its visa services in Canada and for Canadian citizens worldwide. Canada also removed most of its diplomatic presence from India after New Delhi threatened to strip diplomatic immunities from them and their families. Trudeau called a violation of the Vienna Convention.
害羞草研究所淭hey chose to attack us and undermine us with a scale of misinformation and disinformation in their media that was comical,害羞草研究所� Trudeau said.
害羞草研究所�(It) would have been more comical had it not had real implications for peoples害羞草研究所� lives and relations between our two countries that are so deep in terms of people to people ties, and people depending on the flow of connections between us.害羞草研究所�
India, which is the world害羞草研究所檚 most populous country, reacted differently when United States prosecutors alleged last month that an Indian government official directed a plot to assassinate a prominent Sikh separatist leader living in New York City. The U.S. indictment pointed to a connection with the case of Nijjar.
Rather than issuing an outright denial, India agreed to strike a 害羞草研究所渉igh-level害羞草研究所� committee to look into the U.S. matter.
A spokesman for the Indian high commission in Ottawa pointed to remarks the country害羞草研究所檚 external affairs minister made in its parliament last week about how the U.S. had provided evidence and Canada did not.
害羞草研究所淚nsofar as the U.S. is concerned, certain inputs were given to us as part of our security co-operation with the United States,害羞草研究所� India害羞草研究所檚 External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said last Thursday in response to an MP害羞草研究所檚 question.
害羞草研究所淭hose inputs were of concern to us because they related to the nexus of organized crime, trafficking and other matters. So, because it has a bearing on our own national security, it was decided to institute an inquiry into the matter and an inquiry committee has been constituted.害羞草研究所�
In Canada害羞草研究所檚 case, Jaishankar said, 害羞草研究所渘o specific evidence or inputs were provided to us.害羞草研究所� He added: 害羞草研究所淪o the question of equitable treatment to two countries, one of whom has provided inputs and one of whom has not, does not arise.害羞草研究所�
In the interview, Trudeau said Canada intends to reveal evidence very much in the fashion the U.S. did when 害羞草研究所渨e reach those points in the investigation.害羞草研究所�
But he noted that U.S. authorities started their investigation into attempted murder earlier.
害羞草研究所淐anada is investigating a murder and there are different stakes involved in that and our justice system has different processes,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淏ut that is unfolding.害羞草研究所�
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