Trudeau Brands Canadian Security Officials ‘Criminal’ Over Fake Intel Leak on PM Modi Link in Nijjar Case

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has strongly condemned his own national security officials, branding them “criminals” for leaking classified information to the press.

He claimed that these leaks have repeatedly resulted in “wrong” stories.

Trudeau’s harsh comments came in response to a Canadian media report linking top Indian leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the assassination plot of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, further straining ties with India.

At a press conference in Brampton on Friday (November 22), Trudeau said: “We have unfortunately seen that criminals who leak top secret information to the media have consistently got these stories wrong”.

“That’s why we had a national investigation into foreign interference, which has shown that criminals who leak information to the media are unreliable in addition to being criminal,” he stated.

A leading Canadian media outlet earlier last week quoted an unnamed security official as claiming that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was aware of the alleged plot to kill Nijjar.

The report further claimed that External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval were aware of the operation allegedly being led by Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

On Thursday, the Canadian government dismissed the allegations.

Nathalie Drouin, Trudeau’s intelligence advisor, clarified: “The Government of Canada has not stated, nor is it aware of, the evidence linking Prime Minister Modi, Minister Jaishankar or NSA Doval to the serious criminal activities in Canada. Any suggestion to the contrary is both speculative and incorrect. “

Earlier, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) categorically rejected the media report, calling the allegations “ridiculous”.

MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal described the allegations as “smear campaigns” and called for them to be “dismissed with the contempt they deserve.”

Relations between India and Canada have been tense since Trudeau accused Indian government agents of playing a role in Nijjar’s killing in June 2023.

India has strongly denied the claims, calling them “absurd” and politically motivated, while accusing Canada of protecting individuals engaged in terrorism and criminal activities targeting Indian interests.

Tensions worsened last month when the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) alleged Indian agents were involved in crimes such as murder, extortion and intimidation in Canada, and named India’s ambassador to Canada as a person of interest.

India rejected the allegations and recalled its ambassador and other officials. New Delhi also expelled six senior Canadian diplomats.