The Capitals: For New Delhi, a silver-lining in Ottawa's assassination accusation
The Capitals
New Delhi's longstanding foreign policyprinciple of strategic autonomy -- the pursuance of self-sufficient and independent strategic goals without an allegiance to a conventional "alliance" -- was vindicated by the state of affairs stoked by a geopolitical slapdash by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Trudeau made an explosive statement in the CanadianParliament in Ottawa that the country's security officials were pursuing "credible allegations" of a "potential link" to India in the killing ofHardeep Singh Nijjar, aKhalistani terrorist, in June.
The statementled to expulsion of diplomats from the two capitals, with New Delhi upping the ante by enforcing the ceasing of visa services to all Canadian citizens.
Later this week, the Canadian state broadcaster reported, and the US later gave official confirmation that the coveted'Five Eyes' intelligence alliance — constituted by the intelligence establishments of theUnited States, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and Canada — "shared intelligence" Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau about the Indian government's possible involvement in the killing.
India has denied Trudeau's oxymoronic "credible allegations" charge, terming them 'absurd and motivated".
But the row has thrown open a geopolitical reality in front of New Delhi.
For months, the Indian analysts have cited Russia's support to India in 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War as reason behind geopolitical vagueness that is perceived as New Delhi implicitly standing by Moscow during its hours of war, however unjustified, with Ukraine.
Many are now coming to terms with the fact that the US puts allies such as Canada, who have fought alongside it, in a separate, more trusted category.
"Less clear is what Ottawa and Washington have sought to achieve against India through allegations arising from the murky world of espionage, where the line between information and disinformation is easily blurred. With neither Ottawa nor Washington willing to present any video, audio or forensic evidence in support, can vague, unsubstantiated allegations about a "potential" India link to a terrorist's killing serve any purpose, other than to make New Delhi rethink its nascent foreign-policy tilt toward the West?", asked Chellaney.
WATCH WION LIVE HERE
You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.