Foreign interference commission 'not mandated' to probe Nijjar murder: Canadian mission

New Delhi: Canadian high commission in India Thursday said Canada's foreign interference commission is not mandated to probe the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Sikh separatist.

The high commission's remarks came following a reference to the Nijjar killing in a report of the foreign interference commission that probed allegations of meddling by China, Russia and certain other countries in the 2019 and 2021 federal elections in Canada.

"The PIFI (Public Inquiry into Foreign Interference) was not mandated to investigate the murder of Nijjar," it said.

"The statement in question simply reflects that, ultimately, it is up to the courts to decide accountability with respect to this complex matter, which remains under investigation," the high commission said in a brief statement.

The ties between India and Canada came under severe strain following Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's allegations in September 2023 of "potential" involvement of Indian agents in the killing of Nijjar on Canadian soil.

New Delhi rejected Trudeau's charges as "absurd". The relations nosedived further in the second half of last year after Ottawa linked several Indian diplomats, including High Commissioner Sanjay Verma, to the murder of Nijjar.

India strongly rejected the charges and recalled Verma even as the Canadian government said he and five other Indian diplomats were expelled. India expelled acting Canadian High Commissioner Stewart Wheeler and five other diplomats.

In the report, the PIFI listed China, Russia and India among the countries allegedly meddling in Canada's electoral process.

On Tuesday, New Delhi strongly rejected the "insinuations" made against it and asserted that it is in fact Canada which has been "consistently interfering" in India's internal affairs.

"We have seen a report about alleged activities on purported interference. It is in fact Canada which has been consistently interfering in India's internal affairs," the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.

"This has also created an environment for illegal migration and organised criminal activities," it said.

The report alleged that "India also uses disinformation as a key form of foreign interference against Canada, a tactic likely to be used more often in the future."