Canada has presented “no evidence whatsoever” in support of the “serious allegations” it has chosen to level, the Centre informed the Lok Sabha on Friday when asked whether the Union government has taken note of the recent developments in criminal cases allegedly involving the Indian citizens in that country.
Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh in a written response also said “in addition, its public narrative on this issue appears to be in service of an anti-India separatist agenda”.
“Persisting with such a narrative can only be harmful for any stable bilateral relationship. Government has, therefore, repeatedly urged the Canadian authorities to take action against anti-India elements operating from their soil,” he said.
Congress MP Manish Tewari in his query asked whether the Union government has taken note of the recent developments in criminal cases allegedly involving the “Indian citizens/officials in the United States and Canada”, and if so, the impact these cases are likely to have on India’s bilateral relations with these countries.
He also asked whether the government has “engaged diplomatically” with the governments of the US and Canada to “address concerns” regarding these cases.
“Government is aware of the allegations about the involvement of the Indian nationals in purported acts or intent in the US and Canada. As part of ongoing security cooperation with the United States, certain inputs shared by the US side pertaining to the nexus between organised criminals, gun runners, terrorists and others that impinge on India’s national security interests as well are being examined by a High-Level Enquiry Committee that has been constituted for this purpose,” the minister said.
Singh in his response also said that as far as Canada is concerned, “it has presented no evidence whatsoever in support of the serious allegations it has chosen to level”.
