OTTAWA,
ON, Oct. 14, 2024 /CNW/ - The Prime Minister,
Justin Trudeau, today issued the
following statement on the ongoing investigation on violent
criminal activity linked to the Government of India:
"Canada is a country rooted in
the rule of law, and the protection of our citizens is paramount.
That is why, when our law enforcement and intelligence services
began pursuing credible allegations that agents of the Government
of India were directly involved in
the killing of a Canadian citizen, Hardeep
Singh Nijjar, on Canadian soil – we responded.
"We shared our concerns with the Government of India and asked them to work with us to shed
light on this important issue. At the same time, police and
security agencies have used all the tools at their disposal to keep
Canadians safe. Today, given evidence presented by the Royal
Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), we are taking additional steps to
protect Canadians.
"As the Commissioner of the RCMP, Mike
Duheme, stated earlier today, the RCMP has clear and
compelling evidence that agents of the Government of India have engaged in, and continue to engage
in, activities that pose a significant threat to public safety.
This includes clandestine information gathering techniques,
coercive behaviour targeting South Asian Canadians, and involvement
in over a dozen threatening and violent acts, including murder.
This is unacceptable.
"While attempts have been made by the RCMP and national security
officials to work with the Government of India and Indian law enforcement counterparts
on this matter, they have been repeatedly refused. That is why,
this weekend, Canadian officials took an extraordinary step. They
met with Indian officials to share RCMP evidence, which concluded
six agents of the Government of India are persons of interest in criminal
activities. And despite repeated requests to the Government of
India, they have decided not to
co-operate. Given that the Government of India still refuses to co-operate, my
colleague, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mélanie Joly, had only one choice.
"Today, she issued a deportation notice for these six
individuals. They must leave Canada. They will no longer be able to act as
diplomats in Canada, nor to
re-enter Canada, for whatever
reason. Let me be clear: the evidence brought to light by the RCMP
cannot be ignored. It leads to one conclusion: it is necessary to
disrupt the criminal activities that continue to pose a threat to
public safety in Canada. That is
why we acted. Because we will always – first and foremost – stand
for the right of Canadians to feel safe and secure in their own
country.
"We will never tolerate the involvement of a foreign government
in threatening and killing Canadian citizens on Canadian soil – a
deeply unacceptable violation of Canada's sovereignty and of international
law.
"Once again, we call on the Government of India to co-operate with us on this
investigation – to put an end to its inaction and misleading
rhetoric; to recognize the credibility and severity of the evidence
and information we have shared so far; and to reiterate, in no
uncertain terms, that its position on extrajudicial operations
abroad will henceforth be unequivocally aligned with international
law.
"Canada will always defend the
rule of law and the fundamental principles on which free and
democratic societies are based. We urge the Government of
India to do the same.
"I know the events of the past year and today's revelations have
shaken many Canadians, particularly those in Indo-Canadian and Sikh
communities. Many of you are angry, upset, and frightened. I get
that. This shouldn't happen. Canada and India have a long and storied history rooted
in strong people-to-people ties and business investments, but we
cannot abide by what we are seeing right now. Canada fully respects the sovereignty and
territorial integrity of India,
and we expect India to do the same
for us.
"As Prime Minister, it is my responsibility to provide
reassurance to those who are feeling that their safety has been
compromised. But most importantly, it is my responsibility to take
action and to never hesitate to do what is necessary to protect
Canadians. That is precisely what we are doing today."
This document is also available at https://pm.gc.ca
SOURCE Prime Minister's Office