Canada Backtracks on Modi Charge, India Fliers

The news agency, The Canadian Press (Canada’s version of the Associated Press or Reuters) has reported that, in an embarrassing about-face, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s National Security and Intelligence Advisor says the Canadian government is not aware of any evidence linking Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to alleged criminal activity perpetrated by Indian agents on Canadian soil.

The admission comes two days after Globe and Mail, which calls itself, “Canada’s National Newspaper,” reported that Canada’s security agencies believed that Prime Minster Modi, External Affairs Minister Jaishankar and National Security Advisor, Doval, were well aware  about a campaign of violence and intimidation targeting Sikh separatists in Canada, including the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar allegedly by agents of India.

Nathalie Drouin, the national security adviser to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has now admitted that  there is no evidence pointing to India’s External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar or national security adviser Ajit Doval.

In a statement late yesterday (Thursday November 21st), Drouin remarked that any suggestion to the contrary is both “speculative and inaccurate.”

However, although some smaller regional publications have reported the contradiction of the Globe’s news report by NSIA Drouin, “Canada’s National Newspaper” has yet to take the ethically responsible step of printing either a retraction or the CP press release containing Drouin’s admission.

This appears to be part of a media strategy on the part of some in the Canadian security apparatus and the Government of Canada to conduct a “trial by media” against senior members of the Indian government belying the stated intent of the Canadian government to seek rapprochement with India.

Earlier, Drouin and Canadian Global Affairs Department Deputy Minister, David Morrison admitted to leaking information to the Washington Post that Amit Shah was involved in the plot to assassinate Nijjar. While this information or its source was not shared with the Canadian public, Drouin claimed it was not classified information.

The source of Drouin’s Washington Post leaked information remains undisclosed, and that leak has not been retracted till date. However, Drouin’s recent statement casts serious doubt on her and Morrison’s earlier leak to the American newspaper.

INDIA-BOUND FLIERS

While reporting that India-bound fliers would face heightened security measures as announced by Trudeau government Transport minister, Anita Anand, saying this was, “out of an abundance of caution,” the came Canadian media outlets have failed to report that the government has now backtracked on this.

The “heightened security measures” will no longer be applied to Indian travellers reports India Today, which also reported the following:

“The government did not specify the reasons for lifting the new protocols.

The measures, carried out by the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA), involved screening passengers and baggage at airports before entering restricted areas. According to reports, the additional screening on India-bound flights resulted in delays and long queues at airport.”

Posted yesterday: Our outrage at the Transport Canada Announcement now reversed and post on alleged Khalistan extremist protection  in Canada.