India trashes Canadian media reports on Nijjar killing, says ’smear campaigns like this...’

The Canadian media's reports on the murder of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar have been fiercely denied by India, which has stated that the allegations should be treated with the "contempt they deserve."

The Ministry of External Affairs also emphasised that such "smear campaigns" only "further damage our already strained ties."

Referring to the report quoting an unnamed official, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said such "ludicrous statements" should be dismissed with the contempt they deserve.

"We do not normally comment on media reports. However, such ludicrous statements made to a newspaper purportedly by a Canadian government source should be dismissed with the contempt they deserve. Smear campaigns like this only further damage our already strained ties," a statement by MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal on Wednesday stated.

Jaiswal was responding to media queries regarding the report in Canadian newspaper The Globe and Mail.

India has frequently expressed its profound worry over extremism, the culture of violence, and anti-Indian activities in Canada, and it has urged Canadian authorities to take action against these activities. As a result, India's relations with Canada have suffered a dramatic decline.

Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has claimed that he has "credible allegations" of India's hand in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada last year.

India has denied all the allegations, calling them "absurd" and "motivated" and has accused Canada of giving space to extremist and anti-India elements in their country.

After Canada accused Indian High Commissioner Sanjay Verma and a few other officials of being involved in the murder, relations between India and Canada fell precipitously last month. India has recalled the high commissioner after vehemently disputing every accusation made by Ottawa concerning the issue. The Indian diplomats were expelled from Canada, according to the government.

On June 18 of last year, Nijjar was slain outside the Gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia.

-With agency inputs