India not cooperating with Canada on Nijjar investigations: US
Washington (PTI): India is not cooperating with Canada on the latter’s investigation into the killing of a Sikh separatist last year, the United States alleged Tuesday.
“When it comes to the Canadian matter, we have made clear that the allegations are extremely serious and they need to be taken seriously. We wanted to see the government of India cooperate with Canada in its investigation. Obviously, they have not chosen that path,” State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters at his daily news conference.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had a day earlier alleged that officials of the Indian government were involved in the assassination of Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar last June in Surrey.
“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,” Trudeau alleged.
Rejecting the allegations, India not only called back its High Commissioner from Canada but also expelled six of its diplomats from New Delhi.
“Since Prime Minister Trudeau made certain allegations in September 2023, the Canadian government has not shared a shred of evidence with the Government of India, despite many requests from our side. This latest step follows interactions that have again witnessed assertions without any facts. This leaves little doubt that on the pretext of an investigation, there is a deliberate strategy of smearing India for political gains,” the Ministry of External Affairs said.
“Prime Minister Trudeau’s hostility to India has long been in evidence. In 2018, his visit to India, which was aimed at currying favour with a vote bank, rebounded to his discomfort. His Cabinet has included individuals who have openly associated with an extremist and separatist agenda regarding India. His naked interference in Indian internal politics in December 2020 showed how far he was willing to go in this regard,” it said.
“That his government was dependent on a political party, whose leader openly espouses a separatist ideology vis-à-vis India, only aggravated matters. Under criticism for turning a blind eye to foreign interference in Canadian politics, his government has deliberately brought in India in an attempt to mitigate the damage. This latest development targeting Indian diplomats is now the next step in that direction. It is no coincidence that it takes place as Prime Minister Trudeau is to depose before a Commission on foreign interference. It also serves the anti-India separatist agenda that the Trudeau government has constantly pandered to for narrow political gains,” the Minister of External Affairs said.
India said the Trudeau government has consciously provided space to violent extremists and terrorists to harass, threaten and intimidate the Indian diplomats and community leaders in Canada.
“This has included death threats to them and to Indian leaders. All these activities have been justified in the name of freedom of speech. Some individuals who have entered Canada illegally have been fast-tracked for citizenship. Multiple extradition requests from the Government of India in respect of terrorists and organized crime leaders living in Canada have been disregarded,” it said.
The United States refrained from commenting on the India-Canada diplomatic row.
“I don't have any comment on that. But as we've said before, they're serious allegations. And we have wanted to see India take them seriously -- seriously and cooperate with Canada's investigation. They have chosen an alternate path,” Miller said.
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Sabarimala Tantri 'trapped' in gold loss case: Cong; CPI(M) alleges he is among 'big thieves'
Thiruvananthapuram/Kannur (PTI): The arrest of Sabarimala Tantri Kadararu Rajeevaru in the gold loss case triggered a fresh war of words in Kerala on Sunday with the opposition Congress alleging that the chief priest was "deliberately trapped" in the case, while the ruling CPI(M) said he figured in a "list of big thieves".
The recent observation by the Kollam Vigilance Court that there was no iota of evidence against Rajeevaru in the case led to fresh political debate in the state, with opposition parties targeting the state government.
Senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala alleged that the Tantri (chief priest) was "deliberately trapped" in the gold loss case and suspected political intervention behind his arrest without any evidence.
Addressing a press conference here, he claimed that the Special Investigation Team (SIT), probing the case, was controlled by the Chief Minister's Office and Rajeevaru was arrested to prevent the investigation reaching some "big shots".
Chennithala alleged that the SIT failed to comply with the directions issued by the Kerala High Court and did not conduct a proper probe into the alleged conspiracy behind the case.
Though the tantri is a person who is revered as the father of Lord Ayyappa, he was arrested and jailed for 41 days without any evidence, he said.
The Kollam Vigilance court, which had granted bail to the tantri, clearly stated that there was no iota of evidence against him. "So, we should assume that the Sabarimala tantri was deliberately trapped in the case. It is clear that there was a political intervention to arrest the tantri," he alleged.
He further alleged that though there was clear evidence to arrest certain "big shots", no action has been taken so far in this regard.
The tantri was arrested and jailed to divert the course of the investigation and to ensure that it does not reach Devaswom Minister V N Vasavan and former minister Kadakampally Surendran, he said.
He also accused former Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) president P S Prasanth of "committing serious lapses" in connection with the gold loss issue. But, he was questioned secretly and let go, he said.
The decision to sabotage the SIT probe was taken at a higher level after the ruling LDF had suffered a massive drubbing in the recent LSGD polls, he alleged.
People of the state would give a befitting reply to what he termed as "political misuse" of the case.
CPI(M) state secretary M V Govindan rejected the Congress allegations and asserted that no one involved in the matter would be protected.
Speaking to reporters in Kannur, he said the SIT probe is yet to be completed and claimed that Congress leaders also have a role in the alleged gold theft.
He alleged that certain political parties were attempting to use the issue to target the CPI(M) and the state government, adding that "news becomes news only when it is against the CPI(M) and the government, but not when it is against the BJP or the Congress."
Responding to the allegations that the arrest of Rajeevaru was linked to his opposition to women's entry at the hill shrine, Govindan said the tantri figures in the "list of big thieves" and asserted that no one involved in the matter would be protected.
The law would take its own course, he said, adding that not "a speck of gold" from Sabarimala should go missing.
Asked about the court observations granting bail to Tantri, state Law Minister P Rajeev said there were some unusual aspects involved in it.
"If a High Court division bench has observed that the investigation is proceeding in the right direction, it is not usual for a lower court, while considering a bail plea, to make observations that appear like a final verdict in the case," he told media in Kochi.
He said such powers can be exercised by the Supreme Court.
"While reading the order, those with a basic understanding of law may feel that the Vigilance Court has adopted an approach akin to that of the Supreme Court,” the minister further said.
Rajeev further said that unlike in other cases, the state government was not exercising any supervisory role in the matter and that decisions such as whether to file an appeal against the bail order did not come before the government.
“The High Court division bench is monitoring all aspects related to the case," he said adding that reports on the progress of the investigation and that regarding each arrest in the case had been submitted before it by the SIT.
The vigilance court in Kollam on Wednesday granted bail to Rajeevaru in the cases related to alleged misappropriation of gold from the Lord Ayyappa shrine.
Rajeevaru is the 16th accused in the case related to the loss of gold from the Dwarapalaka (guardian deity) idols and 13th accused in the case pertaining to the loss of the precious metal from the door frames of the Sreekovil (sanctum sanctorum).
