'Not a fight we want to have but will always stand up for rule of law': Canadian PM Trudeau on Nijjar killing

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has once again ignited the India-Canada row by reiterating that the Indian government was involved in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

“We have serious reasons to believe that agents of the government of India could have been involved in the killing of a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil,” Trudeau said.

He added that the Canadian government is “working constructively” with India and other partners to “get to the bottom of this serious matter.”

In September, India expelled 40 Canadian diplomats in a retaliatory move.

Trudeau said, “We were so disappointed when India violated the Vienna Convention and arbitrarily revoked the diplomatic immunity of over 40 Canadian diplomats in India…We have serious reasons to believe that agents of the government of India could have been involved in the killing of a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil and India’s response is to kick out a whole bunch of Canadian diplomats by violating their rights under the Vienna Convention.”

“That is of concern to countries around the world because if a given country can just decide that their diplomats of another country are no longer protected, that makes international relations more dangerous and more serious. But every step of the way, we have tried to work constructively and positively with India, and we will continue to and that means continuing to work with Indian government diplomats. This is not a fight we want to be having right now but we will unequivocally always stand up for the rule of law…” he added.

Ties between India and Canada have hit rock bottom after Trudeau alleged that the Indian government had a hand in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was shot dead by two masked gunmen in June in Surrey in the Canadian province of British Colombia.