Canada admits to leaking details of Nijjar case to The Washington Post

Hardeep Singh Nijjar. (Pic/AFP)

Senior Canadian officials have acknowledged leaking sensitive information regarding allegations of Indian foreign interference to The Washington Post, a disclosure that was not made public in Canada, reported news agency ANI.

This revelation comes amid escalating tensions between Canada and India, particularly following Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's accusations that the Indian government was involved in the assassination of Canadian Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

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Nathalie Drouin, Trudeau's national security and intelligence adviser, confirmed during a Commons public safety committee meeting that she leaked details about the Indian government's alleged involvement in murder, extortion, and coercion with The Washington Post.

Notably, this information was not communicated to the Canadian public.

Drouin stated that she did not need Trudeau's authorisation for the leak and emphasised that no classified intelligence was provided to the publication prior to Ottawa expelling six Indian diplomats on Thanksgiving Day on October 13.

On October 14, RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme said that "India was involved in the killing of three people, but he only identified the slaying of Nijjar."

He noted that "eight people have been charged with murder and 22 with extortion. Four Indian nationals have been charged in the killing of Nijjar outside a Sikh temple."

Drouin described the leak of sensitive information as "part of a communications strategy" that she came up with Deputy Foreign Minister David Morrison to ensure that a major US outlet presented Canada's perspective amid ongoing disputes over foreign interference from India.

She affirmed that "the communications strategy was seen by the Prime Minister's Office."

"We provided non-classified information on the actions we had taken to cooperate with India and explain how the evidence showed links to the government of India conducting illegal activities against Canadians, including threats to their lives," Drouin explained.

She also denied releasing classified information and mentioned that she provided similar briefings to federal opposition leaders as she did with The Washington Post.

Drouin's role in the alleged leak to The Washington Post came to light after Canadian daily The Globe and Mail published a report.

However, Drouin's admission about the leak saw criticism from the opposition party in Canada. Conservative party MP Raquel Dancho said "Why the Prime Minister, his Foreign Affairs and Public Safety ministers, and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) didn't share this information with the public when the six Indian diplomats were expelled."

"In fact, Canadians wouldn't know unless they were able to read The Washington Post. I just find it quite unfair to the Canadian public that details were released in advance to The Washington Post but not provided to Canada," Dancho added.

In response to Dancho's inquiries, RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme stated that he refrained from disclosing details reported by The Washington Post because it could impact ongoing criminal investigations.

"It is information as part of an investigation that normally we like to keep within but sometimes we do release some information," Commissioner Duheme said. "I didn't think at that point that it was relevant, that specific information, and again, I wasn't part of the conversation with The Washington Post," reported ANI.

The RCMP had approached the government in late August for a concerted effort to persuade India to cease its alleged foreign interference activities.

Drouin revealed that the RCMP sought to travel to New Delhi on October 8 to present evidence but India "used an administrative technicality to block this meeting." They subsequently travelled to Washington on October 10; but "while an India officer confirmed the meeting, they never showed up."

Earlier this month, India recalled six diplomats from Canada after they were called "persons of interest" by Canadian government, in the investigation into Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar's killing.

Nijjar, who was shot outside a Gurdwara in Surrey last June, held Canadian citizenship and was designated a terrorist by India's National Investigation Agency in 2020.

Relations between India and Canada have soured since Trudeau alleged in Parliament last year that there were "credible allegations" linking India to Nijjar's assassination.

India has denied these claims, labelling them as "absurd" and "motivated" while accusing Canada of harbouring extremist and anti-India elements in their country.

Meanwhile, the National Investigation Agency is investigating six cases involving Gurpatwant Singh Pannu, an individual designated as a terrorist by India who holds both American and Canadian citizenship.

(With inputs from ANI)