'Not trying to provoke...' : Trudeau attempts to pacify row over Hardeep Singh Nijjar death

After taking the extreme step of expelling a top Indian diplomat,Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is attempting to clarify his diplomatic tone by saying that Canada is not looking to provoke India in connection with the killing of Khalistan terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

"Canada is not trying to provoke India by suggesting its agents were linked to the murder of a Sikh separatist leader but Ottawa wants New Delhi to address the issue properly," Reuters quoted him as saying on Tuesday (September 19).

"The government of India needs to take this matter with the utmost seriousness. We are doing that, we are not looking to provoke or escalate," he reportedly said.

Trudeau tried to put diplomatic pressure on India by engaging with UK, US, France and its other so-called “close allies”.

He reportedly gave a briefing of the case to these countries. Reactions also started to pour in from different world leaders over the row.

But Trudeau, who is looking for greener diplomatic pastures, failed to secure backing from its “closest allies” because, unsurprisingly, they declined to rebuke New Delhi over the death of the Khalistani terrorist.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese refrained from making any negative statements towards India. "Seriously, you should chill out a bit. You know, we were at a venue where Bruce Springsteen played the last time I was there," he told a reporter who pressed him on the matter.

"And I made the point that the reception he got from the community... the Indian diaspora welcomed him very strongly, it's as simple as that," he added.

UK PM Rishi Sunak also refrained from engaging in any kind of preaching to India, with his spokesperson sayingthat his top priority is to secure a trade deal with India.

Earlier, the banned Indian separatist group Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) said that it will hold protests and will shut down Indian consulate offices in Canada in the upcoming week, a Canadian media outlet Global News reported.

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