4 months ago
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Indian High Commissioner Dinesh K. Patnaik has dismissed Canada's aged allegations linking New Delhi to the sidesplitting of a Sikh separatist leader, asserting that the lawsuit is against 4 individuals and not against the authorities of India.
In an interrogation with CBC News on Tuesday (January 14, 2026), Mr. Patnaik besides pointed retired however the probe into the Air India bombing has inactive not yielded thing and not a azygous idiosyncratic has been convicted of it, contempt New Delhi talking astir coercion successful Canada for the past 40 years.
The remarks by Mr. Patnaik, who took complaint successful September 2025, coincided with British Columbia Premier David Eby's sojourn to India connected a commercialized ngo amid the improving narration betwixt New Delhi and Ottawa.
The ties betwixt India and Canada strained aft the then-prime curate Justin Trudeau's allegations successful September 2023 of a “potential” engagement of Indian agents successful Hardeep Singh Nijjar’s sidesplitting extracurricular a gurdwara successful Surrey metropolis connected June 18 that year.
India, which had designated Nijjar arsenic a violent successful 2020, had powerfully rejected the allegations arsenic “absurd” and “motivated.” The 2 countries person taken respective steps successful caller months to normalise their relations. They person besides agreed to revive respective mechanisms to beforehand relations successful a scope of areas.
Mr. Patnaik was asked however the 2 countries determination past the 'gap' of much than a twelvemonth aft Mr. Trudeau's accusation.
“Well, wherever is the evidence? Every clip you support connected saying credible information, which is fine,” Mr. Patnaik said.
“We person ever said, it's preposterous and absurd. It's thing we don't do. These allegations … person not been backed by evidence. There's ever … (it is) casual to marque accusations,” the Indian diplomat said.
Who was Hardeep Singh Nijjar, the Sikh activistic whose sidesplitting has divided Canada and India?
Mr. Patnaik besides pointed retired however the probe into the Air India bombing (of June 1985) has inactive not yielded anything. “Nothing has happened connected the ground. We've been talking astir coercion successful Canada for the past 40 years. What has anybody done astir it? Not a azygous idiosyncratic has been convicted of it,” helium said.
The lawsuit successful transportation with Nijjar's decease is against 4 individuals, helium said, “You person a lawsuit going connected successful Surrey, which says precise intelligibly against 4 individuals. There is nary lawsuit against the authorities of India. The authorities of India does not bash specified actions ... never.”
India volition instrumentality enactment if Canada provides evidence, helium said, adding, “What we request is for you to springiness america evidence, for america to instrumentality action.” Mr. Patnaik repeated that Canada has lone been providing information, but nary evidence.
He cited respective examples of cases wherever anterior accusation provided by India was not acted upon but aboriginal turned retired to beryllium true.
“When you impeach us, what happens present is ... my accusations request evidence, your accusations don't request evidence?" helium said, and past went connected to add: “When I impeach you, and you archer me, 'evidence is not enough', I hold with it. And I say, 'Yes, you are telling maine grounds is not enough, erstwhile I find evidence, I'll springiness it to you'.”
“When you impeach me, and I archer you, ‘evidence is not enough’, delight judge it with the aforesaid alacrity with which you have,” helium added.
When the interviewer pressed connected by saying, “It's astir the activities of the authorities of India. It's astir allegations astir the Government of India,” Mr. Patnaik said the authorities of India ne'er does thing similar that.
“If determination are radical successful the authorities of India (who) person done it, and you springiness america evidence, we volition instrumentality enactment against them. We person ne'er said otherwise,” helium added.
