Canadian Leader Accuses Trudeau of Diverting Attention with Diplomatic Row

Maxime Bernier, leader of the People's Party of Canada, accuses PM Justin Trudeau of using Hardeep Singh Nijjar's murder to distract from controversies. Nijjar was labeled a foreign terrorist and was controversially granted Canadian citizenship. The diplomatic tension between India and Canada escalates as they expel each other's diplomats.

In a heated statement, Maxime Bernier, leader of the People's Party of Canada, has accused Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of leveraging the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar as a distraction from other brewing controversies. According to Bernier, Nijjar, deemed a Khalistani militant, was a foreign terrorist erroneously granted Canadian citizenship.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) recently identified India's High Commissioner and other diplomats as persons of interest in Nijjar's June 2023 assassination. Trudeau's accusations have further strained diplomatic ties between India and Canada, with both nations expelling several diplomats in a tit-for-tat exchange.

Bernier criticized Canada's immigration policy, claiming it has inadvertently welcomed foreigners embroiled in their tribal conflicts. He suggests Canada's diplomatic approach with India should prioritize solutions over escalating disputes, especially considering India's role as a rising global power and crucial ally.

(With inputs from agencies.)