Ontario, Canada: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has strongly condemned the illegal release of confidential government information, following reports suggesting ties between Indian officials and violent activities in Canada.

These reports claimed that Indian leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, were aware of violent actions involving Indian government agents in Canada, sparking significant controversy.

During a press briefing in Brampton on November 22, Trudeau responded to the leaks, criticizing one of his officials as a "criminal" for spreading false and misleading details.

“We have unfortunately seen criminals leak classified information to the media, and these stories have consistently been inaccurate,” Trudeau expressed, showing frustration over the confusion caused by these reports.

He continued, “This is why we conducted a national inquiry into foreign interference, which revealed that individuals leaking such information to the media are both untrustworthy and criminal.”

The controversy originated from a report by The Globe and Mail, which claimed that Canadian security agencies suspected that Modi, Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval were aware of violent activities carried out by Indian agents in Canada.

The report further suggested their involvement in the 2023 killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Khalistani separatist leader, in Surrey, British Columbia.

In response to these allegations, Nathalie G. Drouin, the Deputy Clerk of the Privy Council and Trudeau’s National Security and Intelligence Advisor, issued a statement on November 21, rejecting the claims.

Drouin emphasized that there was no evidence connecting Modi, Jaishankar, or Doval to any criminal actions in Canada, calling the allegations “speculative and inaccurate.”

She also clarified that the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) had made the rare decision to publicly accuse Indian agents of involvement in criminal activities, as part of an ongoing investigation into potential threats to public safety.