Canada Minister Marc Miller. File
| Photo Credit: AP

Canada’s Immigration Minister Marc Miller has rejected External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar’s remark that Ottawa is “lax” about admitting people into the country, saying authorities conduct a criminal record check on people entering Canada on student visas.

On May 4, Mr. Jaishankar said that India had “convinced them (Canadian authorities) several times not to give visa, legitimacy or political space to such people which is causing problems for them (Canada), for us and also for our relationship. “But the Canadian government has not done anything,” Mr. Jaishankar said, adding that India sought the extradition of 25 people, most of whom are pro-Khalistan, but they did not pay any heed.

His remarks came after Canadian authorities charged three Indian nationals with the murder of Khalistan separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. It is reported that they entered Canada on student visas.

Nijjar, a Canadian citizen, was shot dead outside a gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia, on June 18, 2023. Karan Brar (22) Kamalpreet Singh (22) and Karanpreet Singh (28) all Indian nationals residing in Edmonton, have been charged on Friday with first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder.

Responding to a question on April 7 about Mr. Jaishankar’s remarks, Mr. Miller said, “We’re not lax, and the Indian Foreign Minister is entitled to his opinion,” reported the Cable Public Affairs Channel — a Canadian speciality television channel.

When asked what the Canadian government planned on doing about it, he said, “About what the Indian Foreign Minister said? Let him speak his mind. It’s just not accurate.” He said that Canada conducts a criminal record check on people entering the country on student visas, and when asked how this works, he said. “You check them in if they have a criminal record; they don’t come in.” Canada takes “any report like this very seriously,” Mr. Miller said.

He refused to confirm if the three Indians arrested for Nijjar’s murder were in Canada on a student visa, asserting that there’s information that he can’t share at the time because of the ongoing police investigation.

The ties between India and Canada came under severe strain following Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s allegations in September last year of the “potential” involvement of Indian agents in the killing of 45-year-old Nijjar, a Khalistan separatist.

India has dismissed Mr. Trudeau’s charges as “absurd” and “motivated.” The presence of Sikh separatist groups in Canada has long frustrated India, which had designated Nijjar a “terrorist.” After the arrest of the three Indian nationals in connection with the murder, police in Canada said they had worked with the U.S. law enforcement agencies without giving additional details. The police suggested more arrests might be coming.

Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Assistant Commissioner David Teboul, the force’s commander for the Pacific region said last week that he wouldn’t comment on the alleged links between the three men arrested and Indian officials but noted the force is “investigating connections to the government of India.”

Meanwhile, Mr. Jaishankar on May 4 said what is happening in poll-bound Canada over the killing of Nijjar is mostly due to their internal vote bank politics and has nothing to do with India.

He said a section of pro-Khalistan people are using Canada’s democracy, creating a lobby and have become a vote bank.

Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
| Photo Credit: AP

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau did not respond to questions about India rejecting allegations made by him in Parliament about India’s involvement in the killing of a prominent Khalistani separatist leader.

Mr. Trudeau was in the United Nations Headquarters to attend the high-level 78th session of the UN General Assembly.

On September 20, he spoke at the Climate Ambition Summit, the UN Security Council meeting on Ukraine and at the Global Carbon Pricing event at an especially constructed SDG Pavilion on the UN premises.

On two different occasions and venues within the UN premises, PTI posed a question to Mr. Trudeau about India rejecting his allegations but he did not respond and walked away, surrounded by his security detail.

India has strongly rejected Mr. Trudeau’s statement made in the Canadian Parliament and said “allegations of Government of India’s involvement in any act of violence in Canada are absurd and motivated.” Mr. Trudeau has made allegations in the Canadian Parliament of the involvement of “agents of the Indian government” in the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, 45, the chief of the banned Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF).

Nijjar was one of India’s most-wanted terrorists who carried a cash reward of ₹10 lakh on his head and was shot dead by two unidentified gunmen outside a gurdwara in Surrey in the western Canadian province of British Columbia on June 18.

Bilateral ties between India and Canada have been tense in recent months. Trade talks have been derailed and Canada just cancelled trade talks.

Amid the growing diplomatic row between the two countries, India on Wednesday advised all its citizens living in Canada and those contemplating travelling there to exercise “utmost caution” in view of growing anti-India activities and “politically-condoned” hate crimes in the North American country.

In a strongly-worded advisory, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in New Delhi referred to “threats” targeting Indian diplomats and sections of the Indian community that oppose the “anti-India agenda”, and asked Indian nationals to avoid travelling to regions and potential venues in Canada which have seen such incidents.

Canada’s Immigration Minister Marc Miller sought to reassure Indian nationals on Wednesday that it is safe to travel to the country even as a leader of the Sikh separatist movement banned in India has announced plans for rallies in Canadian cities on Monday that seek the closing of New Delhi’s diplomatic missions here, The Globe and Mail newspaper reported.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
| Photo Credit: ANI

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his delegation departed from the national capital on Tuesday afternoon (September 12) after the technical issue with his aircraft was resolved.

Mr. Trudeau, who arrived in Delhi on Friday, was scheduled to leave on Sunday but was stranded for two days due to a technical issue with the aircraft. A source in the know said the aircraft took off at around 1.10 p.m (IST). Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar was at the airport to see off Mr. Trudeau.

“On behalf of PM @narendramodi Ji and my colleagues in govt, I was at the airport today to thank Mr. Justin Trudeau, Hon’ble Prime Minister of Canada @JustinTrudeau for his presence at the #G20Summit and wished him and his entourage a safe trip back home,” the Minister said in a post on platform X.

The Minister of State for Entrepreneurship, Skill Development, Electronics & Technology also shared a picture of him with Mr. Trudeau. In a statement on Tuesday, the Prime Minister’s office said the plane has been cleared to fly.

Mr. Trudeau and his delegation, who were to leave Delhi after the G20 summit on Sunday, were stranded here due to the technical issue with the aircraft.

“The technical issue with the plane has been resolved. The plane has been cleared to fly. The Canadian delegation is expected to depart this afternoon,” the statement said.

On Monday, the Prime Minister’s office said the Canadian Armed Forces continue their best efforts to get the delegation home.

“We will keep you updated regularly as the situation evolves. Their latest update shows an earliest possible departure of Tuesday late afternoon. The situation remains fluid,” it had said.