India-Canada Row: Sources Say Pak ISI's Role in Nijjar Killing; NIA Detains Arsh Dalla's Aide in Punjab

Amidst the soaring tension between India and Canada, EAM S Jaishankar is set to meet US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Washington DC today.

The diplomatic crisis between two of America’s friends, its traditional ally Canada and India, is expected to come up during the talks.

Meanwhile, sources have claimed that Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar’s killing was plotted by ISI to put India on the back foot.

On Wednesday, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) conducted a raid at Canada-based Khalistani terrorist Arshdeep Singh aka Arsh Dalla‘s residence and detained his aide Jones, alias Jora.

The ties between New Delhi and Ottawa went sour after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged the Indian government’s involvement in the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

India termed the allegations as “absurd” and “motivated” and expelled a senior Canadian diplomat in a retaliatory move to Canada asking an Indian diplomat to leave the country.

Latest Updates on India-Canada Row

• Indian intelligence agencies have raised red flag about Manipuri tribal association leaders’ meeting with alleged Khalistan supporters in Canada.
• Lien Gangte, president of the Canada chapter of NAMTA (North American Manipur Tribal Association) gave a speech last month at Surrey Gurudwara about the minorities in Manipur and what is happening to them. The Gurudwara in question was controlled by Nijjar.
• Indian Intelligence Agencies have claimed that post the speech, Nijjar supporters had a meeting with NAMTA.
• The National Investigation Agency (NIA) apprehended Jones, alias Jora, an accomplice of Arshdeep Singh aka Arsh Dalla during a raid at the latter’s residence in Firozpur on Wednesday.
• Sources have claimed that Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar’s killing was plotted by ISI
• Amidst the diplomatic row with Canada, EAM S Jaishankar is set to meet US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Washington DC today.
• US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said, “We have urged our Indian counterparts to fully cooperate with the Canadian investigation”.
• According to an exclusive CNN-News18 report, Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar was in constant touch with the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) and had met senior officials six days before he was killed in June this year, his son has claimed.
• Speaking to ANI over the souring ties between New Delhi and Ottawa, Indian-American businessman Sant Singh Chatwal claimed that no one is supporting Khalistan.

• Canada’s envoy to the United Nations, Bob Rae, on Tuesday, raised the issue of ‘foreign meddling‘ and said Canadians are worried about increasing incidents of foreign interference in the country.
• “We cannot bend the rules of state-to-state relations for political expediency because we’ve seen and continue to see the extent to which democracies are under threat through various means of foreign interference,” Bob Rae said while addressing the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
• On the other hand, the External Affairs Minister (EAM) on Tuesday asked the UN member states not to allow “political convenience” to determine the response to terrorism, in a veiled attack on Ottawa.
• “Nor must be countenance that political convenience determines responses to terrorism, extremism and violence,” EAM said during the General Debate of the 78th session of UNGA in New York.
• Meanwhile, NIA on Sunday released a list of 19 fugitive Khalistani terrorists residing in UK, US, Canada, Dubai, Pakistan and other countries whose properties are likely to be confiscated.
• On Saturday, NIA confiscated the properties of designated terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a member of the banned pro-Khalistani group Sikhs for Justice (SFJ).