In a startling revelation, two senior officials from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s administration have admitted to leaking sensitive intelligence about alleged Indian involvement in the murder of Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar to The Washington Post prior to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) formally disclosing the allegations. The officials confessed that the information leak was part of a broader communication strategy intended to publicize Canada’s stance on the issue amid escalating diplomatic friction with India.
Nathalie Drouin, Trudeau’s National Security and Intelligence Adviser, revealed during a parliamentary committee hearing on Tuesday that she and Deputy Foreign Minister David Morrison orchestrated the leak to the U.S. media without Trudeau’s explicit authorization. Drouin clarified that the leaked information was not classified, as it was intended to provide an American media outlet with Canada’s narrative surrounding India’s alleged activities. Trudeau’s office reportedly oversaw the strategy, but Drouin emphasized that the decision to inform the media was hers and Morrison’s alone.
“We provided non-classified information on our cooperation with India and detailed evidence suggesting links to the Indian government’s involvement in illegal activities targeting Canadians, including potential threats to their lives,” Drouin stated. This communication strategy unfolded shortly before India responded by recalling six of its diplomats from Canada on October 14, in a reciprocal move after Canada declared multiple Indian diplomats as ‘persons of interest’ in the Nijjar case.
The Washington Post article, which appeared on October 13, alleged that a meeting occurred between India’s National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and his Canadian counterpart in Singapore on September 12. During this meeting, Canadian officials reportedly shared evidence claiming Indian collaboration with criminal networks, such as the Bishnoi gang, to target Nijjar and other Sikh separatists in Canada. According to Drouin, this meeting aimed to present Doval with various resolution options, but Doval allegedly dismissed the accusations, denying all Canadian claims.
In response to Drouin’s disclosure, Conservative public safety critic Raquel Dancho questioned why the Trudeau administration chose to provide information to an international newspaper over informing the Canadian public directly, calling the decision “unfair” to Canadians. Meanwhile, RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme supported Drouin’s approach, stating that the leaked details were not classified and were withheld from public release to avoid impacting the ongoing investigation.
The diplomatic rift between India and Canada has deepened since Trudeau publicly claimed in September that Canada had credible intelligence suggesting Indian involvement in Nijjar’s murder. India has consistently denied the allegations, demanding evidence to substantiate Canada’s claims. New Delhi maintains that Nijjar was involved in terrorism, linking him to a 2007 bombing in Punjab and the murder of Sikh politician Rulda Singh in 2009.
This recent admission by Canadian officials has intensified the scrutiny on Canada’s handling of the case and its approach to managing public information, fueling ongoing tensions with India as both countries navigate an already fragile diplomatic relationship.
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