Ottawa/New Delhi

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The Canadian government said on Friday (Nov 22) that it has not stated, nor is it aware of evidence linking Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Indian Foreign Minister S Jaishankar, or India's National Security Adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval to the serious criminal activity within Canada.

“On October 14th, because of a significant and ongoing threat to public safety, the RCMP and officials took the extraordinary step of making public accusations of serious criminal activity in Canada perpetrated by agents of the Government of India," the Canadian government said in a statement.

Click here to read the Canadian government's statement

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However, it pointed out that it was not aware of the aforementioned evidence linking Indian leaders to criminal activity within Canada. "Any suggestion to the contrary is both speculative and inaccurate,” the statement added.

Why this clarification by Ottawa?

A few days back, a report by Canadian newspaper The Globe and Mail claimed that Indian Prime Minister Modi was aware of the alleged plot to kill Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

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The Globe and Mail had cited inputs from a national security official. The report also claimed that Indian Foreign Minister Jaishankar and NSA Doval were in the loop of the plot. 

Hardeep Singh Nijjar was killed by unidentified men on June 18 last year. His killing triggered diplomatic tensions between Canada and India, with Ottawa saying  it suspects India's involvement in the killing and New Delhi calling the allegations "absurd."

Ties between India and Canada nosedived last month after Canada linked Indian High Commissioner Sanjay Verma and some other diplomats to the murder.

The Canadian government had said the Indian diplomats were expelled from the country. Meanwhile, New Delhi expelled Canadian Charge d'Affaires Stewart Wheeler and five other diplomats following Ottawa's allegations in connection to the case.

India rejects Canadian media report on Nijjar's killing

The Indian foreign ministry rejected the claims made by The Globe and Mail in its report about Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

"We do not normally comment on media reports. However, such ludicrous statements made to a newspaper purportedly by a Canadian government source should be dismissed with the contempt they deserve. Smear campaigns like this only further damage our already strained ties," the foreign ministry said in a statement on Wednesday.