The government has approved the construction of 400 panchayat bhawans-cum-common service centres which will provide essential services, improve governance, and foster community participation in decision-making
The Justin Trudeau-led Canadian government on Friday denied a report linking top Indian leaders to criminal activities in Canada, saying it is “speculative and inaccurate”.
National security and intelligence advisor to Justin Trudeau, Nathalie G Drouin, in a statement, said that the Canadian government is “not aware” of any evidence of the claims made by a Canadian media house citing unnamed officials.
“On October 14th, because of a significant and ongoing threat to public safety, the RCMP and officials took the extraordinary step of making public accusations of serious criminal activity in Canada perpetrated by agents of the Government of India. The Government of Canada has not stated, nor is it aware of the evidence, linking Prime Minister Modi, Minister Jaishankar, or NSA Doval to the serious criminal activity within Canada,” the statement read.
On Thursday, a report by Canada’s ‘Globe and Mail’ newspaper quoted unnamed Canadian officials claiming that Indian leaders were “aware” of the plot to kill Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar – who was killed in Vancouver last year.
India responded sharply to these claims immediately with External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal calling the report a “smear campaign”.
“Such ludicrous statements made to a newspaper purportedly by a Canadian government source should be dismissed with the contempt they deserve. Smear campaigns like this only further damage our already strained ties,” Mr Jaiswal said.
The India-Canada diplomatic relations worsened last year after the killing of Nijjar, a Sikh separatist and the mastermind behind the banned terror outfit ‘Khalistan Tiger Force’. The diplomatic crisis kickstarted after Mr Trudeau accused “Indian agents” of being involved in the killing.
According to the Canadian Prime Minister, he had “credible allegations” of India’s hand in the Nijjar’s killing.
However, India has repeatedly rejected the allegations, accusing Mr Trudeau’s administration of pandering to Khalistani sympathisers for political gain in their country. India has also termed the allegations “absurd” and “politically motivated”.
Last month, the Canadian government yet again linked Indian High Commissioner Sanjay Verma and some other diplomats to the killing. To this, the Centre rejected the claims and pointed out that despite repeated requests for evidence, Canada had failed to share any substantive proof to substantiate its allegations.
Akashdeep Gill, arrested from Punjab for his involvement in NCP leader Baba Siddique’s murder, revealed during interrogation that he used a farm labourer’s hotspot to contact jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi’s brother Anmol Bishnoi.
Using the mobile internet hotspot of a labourer named Balwinder working in his field, Gill used to also contact other accused in the case, including Shubham Lonkar, Zeeshan Akhtar and alleged main shooter Shiv Kumar Gautam.
Usage of the labourer’s hotspot would help him hide his location, Gill told the Crime Branch during his interrogation after he was arrested from Punjab’s Fazilka on November 16. The accused used to keep his phone in flight mode and connect to the internet using Balwinder’s hotspot.
The crime branch is currently searching for Gill’s mobile phone, which may provide important clues in the case.
Gill’s arrest was the 24th in connection with Mr Siddique’s murder. Police said he has provided logistic support in the shooting.
Meanwhile, a Mumbai court had extended till November 23 the police custody of Gautam, after the police said he was not cooperating with the probe, and the weapon used in the shooting has not been recovered as yet.
The four others – Anurag Kashyap, Gyan Prakash Tripathi, Akash Srivastava and Akhilendra Pratap Singh – were arrested for allegedly sheltering Gautam and helping him flee to Nepal.