NEW DELHI: The Canadian government has denied a report that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was aware of the killing of Khalistan terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Canada has denied a report published in The Globe and Mail that said that External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval were informed about the killing.

The Canadian government has not issued any statement linking Modi or Minister Jaishankar to serious crimes inside Canada. The government has also clarified that the media report is mere speculation. The claims published quoting an unnamed Canadian official are labelled as 'ridiculous statements' and should be rejected outright, said Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal.

There were reports that Pakistan's spy agency Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) had prepared the ground for Nijjar's killing to create a rift in India-Canada relations. The ISI hired criminals to kill Nijjar. Following Nijjar's murder, the ISI is looking for a replacement. The report also says that it is trying to bring together pro-Khalistan militants in Canada.

On June 18, 2013, Khalistan activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar was killed in British Columbia, Canada. The Canadian government had alleged that Indian agents were behind the murder. This led to a serious diplomatic crisis between the two countries.