India-Canada row: Justin Trudeau's administration finally admits to leaking information on allegations against New Delhi

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's national security and intelligence adviser Nathalie Drouin on Tuesday admitted that she leaked information on India's alleged link to Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar's killing to American newspaper, the Washington Post.

According to a report by Canadian daily the Global and Mail, Drouin's confession came at a hearing of the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security (SECU) studying electoral interference and criminal activities in Canada by agents of the Government of India in the Parliamentary Precinct of Ottawa.

The Canadian PM's adviser, in her defence, claimed that she wanted the world to know 'Canada's side of the story' amidst the ongoing India-Canada row over New Delhi-designated terrorist Nijjar's killing in 2023.

During the Parliamentary Panel hearing, Drouin said that Trudeau was not informed of the decision, however, she added that she didn't need the Prime Minister's 'authorisation' to divulge the information.

Drouin leaked the information against India to the Post along with Canadian deputy minister of foreign affairs, David Morrison.

Gill was shot dead days after Trudeau first alleged that India was involved in Nijjar's killing in June 2023.

While detailing the information she shared with the Post, Nathalie Drouin denied leaking any 'classified information' to the media organisation.

“We provided non-classified information on the actions we had taken to co-operate with India and explain how the evidence showed links to the government of India conducting illegal activities against Canadians, including threats to their lives,” said Drouin.

Following the admission, Drouin and Morrison faced heat from Conservative leader Raquel Dancho, who accused them of hiding the information about the expelling of six Indian diplomats on Thanksgiving day, from the people of Canada.

Dancho criticised the Trudeau government officials for choosing to share the information with the Post while denying it to the citizens of Canada.

“In fact, Canadians wouldn’t know unless they were able to read The Washington Post. I just find that quite unfair to the Canadian public that details were released in advance to The Washington Post but not provided to Canada,” Dancho was quoted as saying.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police Commissioner Mike Duheme on October 14, had told the Parliamentary committee that evidence points to India’s involvement in the deaths of three individuals, specifically identifying Mr. Nijjar’s murder.

Commissioner Duheme explained that he refrained from disclosing information reported by The Washington Post, as it could have impacted the ongoing criminal investigations.

“It is information as part of an investigation that normally we like to keep within but sometimes we do release some information,” Dueheme said.

“I didn’t think at that point that it was relevant, that specific information, and again I wasn’t part of the conversation with The Washington Post.”

The RMCP official clarified that the intelligence provided to the Post was not classified under national security definitions.

Canada and India reached a diplomatic standstill when India recalled six of its diplomats, including the Indian High Commissioner to Canada, citing concerns for their security following Ottawa's new allegations over the killing of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

Canada in mid October alleged that Indian diplomats were 'linked to the assassination' of Khalistani terrorists.