Indian External Affairs Minister Disclaims Involvement in Intelligence Sharing on Hardeep Singh Nijjar’s Killing

Speaking during the ‘Discussion at Council on Foreign Relations’ in New York, Jaishankar asserted, “I am not part of The Five Eyes, I am certainly not part of the FBI. So I think you are asking the wrong person.”

The Five Eyes is an intelligence alliance consisting of Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United States, and the United Kingdom. Earlier, David Cohen, the US Ambassador to Canada, stated that it was “shared intelligence among Five Eyes partners” that prompted the Trudeau administration to suggest a potential link between “agents” of the Indian government and the assassination of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

During the event, the External Affairs Minister drew attention to the prevalence of “organized crime, related to secessionist forces, violence, and extremism” in Canada. He expressed concerns about these issues being “very permissive” for political reasons.

“In the last few years, Canada has witnessed a significant amount of organized crime associated with secessionist forces, organized crime, violence, and extremism. They are all deeply intertwined. So, we have been discussing specifics and information,” Jaishankar noted.

Regarding Prime Minister Trudeau’s allegations, Jaishankar conveyed that the Indian side would take action if the Canadian side provided specific information concerning the killing of Khalistani leader Hardeep Nijjar.

“We informed the Canadians that this is not the policy of the Government of India. Secondly, we stated that if you possess something specific and pertinent, please inform us. We are open to examining it… The picture is incomplete without context in a way,” he explained.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stirred controversy on Monday by claiming that Ottawa possessed credible intelligence linking Indian agents to Hardeep Nijjar’s killing in Vancouver. India, however, dismissed these allegations as “absurd and motivated.”

In response to Trudeau’s statements, India suspended its visa services in Canada. Additionally, the Indian government issued an advisory urging its citizens and travelers to Canada to exercise “utmost caution” due to the growing prevalence of anti-India activities, politically condoned hate crimes, and criminal violence in the country.

Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a designated terrorist in India, was fatally shot outside a Sikh temple in Surrey, British Columbia, on June 18.