India denied a report by Canadian media on Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar’s death, calling it a “smear campaign" amid ongoing diplomatic tension between the two countries.

A Spokesperson of the Indian foreign ministry, Randhir Jaiswal said, “We do not normally comment on media reports. However, such absurd statements made to a newspaper allegedly by a Canadian government source should be dismissed with the contempt they deserve. Smear campaigns like this only further damage our already strained ties.”

The Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) did not quote the media outlet that released the report, but Canada's The Globe and Mail recently reported that Canadian security agencies believe Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was aware of the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

The death of Najjar in 2023 became the main issue of diplomatic tension between India and Canada. However, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government has accused India of being involved in the murder but has not provided concrete evidence. India has consistently rejected these allegations, marking the lack of proof.

This is the first time Canadian media has made allegations against Prime Minister Modi, further escalating the already tense relations between both nations.

The report states that Canadian and American intelligence agencies believe that the operation to kill Hardeep Singh Nijjar was connected to India's Home Affairs Minister, Amit Shah.

The article also claims that Indian Prime Minister Modi’s trusted national security adviser, Ajit Doval, and External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar were involved, according to the official. However, the report clarified that Canada does not have direct evidence proving that Modi knew about the killing.

The article came after India expressed its disapproval on November 2 regarding comments made in a Canadian parliamentary committee on October 29 about Amit Shah. Canadian Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister David Morrison told the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security that Khalistani extremists were targeted on Shah's orders. However, Morrison did not provide any details on how Canada verified this information.

The report comes as relations between India and Canada have worsened over the 2023 killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Khalistani terrorist, for which Canada has accused India. India has denied these allegations, calling them "absurd," and criticised Prime Minister Trudeau for supporting Khalistani extremists who are targeting India and attacking Hindus in Canada.

Despite India’s repeated requests for evidence, Canada has not provided any proof linking India to Nijjar's death but continues to make accusations. India’s requests for the extradition of individuals wanted for terrorism, murder, and human trafficking have also been ignored by Canada.