Amid a diplomatic row between the two countries, India on Thursday said that there are at least 26 extradition requests pending with Canada spanning over the last decade or more.

India expressed confusion over the current situation, stating that New Delhi is now being informed that the RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police) is blaming India for the crimes committed in Canada by individuals it has sought to have deported.

“There are 26 extradition requests pending with Canadian side, these are over the last decade or more, along with that there are several provisional arrest requests which are also pending with Canadian side of certain criminals…,” said MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal during a weekly media briefing.

Jaiswal said India had shared security related information with the Canadian govt regarding gang members including those of Lawrence Bishnoi gang and requested them to arrest them.

“So far no action has been taken by Canadian side on our request…we find it really strange that now people who we wanted to be deported or action to be taken, we are being told that, RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police) is blaming Indian side for the crimes committed by these people in Canada,” added Jaiswal.

Testifying before the public inquiry into foreign interference in federal electoral processes and democratic institutions, Trudeau on Wednesday acknowledged that he had only intelligence and no “hard evidentiary proof” when he alleged the involvement of Indian government agents in the killing of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar last year.

Reacting to the development, the MEA early on Thursday said what it has heard only “confirms” New Delhi’s consistent stand that Canada has “presented us no evidence” in support of the serious allegations Ottawa chose to level against India and Indian diplomats.

During the briefing, Jaiswal reiterated that so far no evidence has been shared by Canada.

“The current crisis (in India-Canada relationship) has been precipitated by the Trudeau government’s baseless allegations,” he said.

Bilateral relations between India and Canada have plunged to a new low this week after Ottawa linked India to the murder of a Sikh separatist leader in Canada.

With inputs from agencies

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‘Find it really strange…’: India says 26 extradition requests pending with Canada