Amid a row that erupted following contentious allegations levelled by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau against India, it seems the Opposition leaders of Ottawa weren't in the mood to subscribe to the claims that irked the diplomatic relations between the two nations.
Responding to the question of whether Canada's Opposition believes Indian agents were potentially linked to the killing of pro-Khalistan figure Hardeep Singh Nijjar, the leader of the Conservative Party said Trudeau needs to provide "proof" to substantiate his serious allegations.
"The Prime Minister needs to come clean with all the facts. We need to know all the evidence possible so that Canadians can make judgments on that," Opposition leader Pierre Poilievre told to media in Ottawa.
PM Trudeau needs to come clean: Opposition leader
Notably, earlier when the Canadian Prime Minister levelled the "baseless" allegations against New Delhi, Poilievre came in support of Trudeau but as the matter passed more than 24 hours, he said the PM should provide proof.
"We need to see more facts. The Prime Minister has not provided any facts. He provided a statement. I will emphasise he didn't tell me any more in private than he told Canadians in public so we want to see more information," he said.
The statement from Washington came after Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly said the expelled Indian diplomat was the head of Indian intelligence in Canada and added her PM also raised the matter with US President Joe Biden and UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
"We are deeply concerned about the allegations referenced by Prime Minister Trudeau. We remain in regular contact with our Canadian partners. It is critical that Canada’s investigation proceed and the perpetrators be brought to justice," White House National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said in a statement released on Tuesday.
Canadian PM Trudeau raised the issue of Nijjar's killing during a bilateral meeting with Modi
The major development between the two nations came as PM Trudeau, who had recently visited New Delhi for the G20 Summit where he held a bilateral meeting with his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi, alleged that Canadian intelligence agencies have "credible" information about the involvement of New Delhi in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
Even, while addressing the Canadian Parliament on Monday, Trudeau claimed that he had raised the issue with PM Modi during their bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in New Delhi.
Subsequently, Canadian FM announced the expulsion of an Indian diplomat. Soon after her announcement, India released a statement where it condemned the "baseless" allegations levelled by PM Trudeau.
“Such unsubstantiated allegations seek to shift the focus from Khalistani terrorists and extremists, who have been provided shelter in Canada and continue to threaten India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” it wrote in a statement issued earlier today.
As the matter turned a diplomatic chaos, Trudeau said he was not trying to provoke New Delhi but rather wanted his Indian counterpart to address the issue properly.
