Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's office has vehemently denied recent allegations suggesting that his plane was laden with cocaine during his visit to India for the G20 summit earlier this month. The claims, which have been widely circulated in the Indian media, have added fuel to an already heated diplomatic dispute between the two nations.
The contentious assertion emerged when a retired Indian diplomat, Deepak Vohra, stated during a television discussion that there were "credible rumors" that sniffer dogs had detected cocaine on Trudeau's aircraft. Vohra further alleged that Trudeau remained secluded in his room for two days, missing the president's dinner, and speculated that the Prime Minister might have been in a "drug-induced stupor."
Vohra's comments, which were not challenged by the show's host, painted a picture of Trudeau as a "troubled infant" and suggested that his behavior indicated he was "freaked out." The former ambassador went on to describe Trudeau as a "lonely" figure attempting to portray himself as a "Canadian Rambo."
This controversy comes at a time when diplomatic relations between Canada and India are already strained. The tension escalated after Trudeau made "credible allegations" of Indian state involvement in the assassination of a Sikh leader in Canada, Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Nijjar, labeled a "terrorist" by India in 2020, was brutally gunned down in Vancouver in June by two masked assailants.
In response to Trudeau's accusations, Canadian officials have cited both human and signals intelligence that supports their suspicions regarding Nijjar's murder. This includes alleged communications involving Indian officials stationed in Canada. Trudeau emphasized the gravity of these claims, stating that the decision to share these allegations was made with "the utmost seriousness."
The fallout from these allegations has been significant. Ottawa has expelled a high-ranking diplomat affiliated with Indian intelligence. In retaliation, New Delhi, dismissing Trudeau's claims as "absurd," expelled the chief of Canadian intelligence in India, issued travel advisories, halted visa issuance for Canadians, and demanded Canada reduce its diplomatic presence in the country.
