India Dismisses Canadian Smear Campaign Allegations

India strongly refutes a Canadian media report alleging Prime Minister's awareness of a plot against Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. The Indian External Affairs Ministry calls such claims baseless, urging dismissal of the report. The allegations further strain India-Canada relations, recently deteriorated over diplomatic expulsions.

India dismissed allegations put forth by a Canadian media report as a 'smear campaign', asserting that the Indian Prime Minister was not aware of any plot against Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal described the claims, attributed to an unnamed Canadian official, as 'ludicrous' and deserving contempt.

The report in The Globe and Mail worsens already strained India-Canada relations. The controversy follows Canada's accusations linking Indian diplomats to Nijjar's murder, leading to reciprocal diplomatic expulsions.

(With inputs from agencies.)