News18 Survey: 95.77% Believe Canada Has Not Given Nijjar Case Evidence To India

Last Updated:October 25, 2024, 15:29 IST

News18 Network Pulse: India’s Verdict on Canada: Only a small percentage (4.19%) support Canada’s claim that India is not cooperating in the investigation

India has maintained that Canada has given no evidence on the probe.

A vast majority of respondents – 95.77% — believe India’s version that Canada has not shown proof of the investigation into Hardeep Singh Nijjar’s killing, according to ‘News18 Network Pulse: India’s Verdict on Canada’ survey.

During the survey conducted between October 21 and October 23, the respondents were asked: “Canadian PM Justin Trudeau claims that India is not cooperating in the investigation into the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Khalistani extremist. India says Canada is not showing proof. Who do you believe?”

Only a small percentage (4.19%) support Canada’s claim that India is not cooperating in the investigation.

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Responses were collected through personal interviews with the aid of an online questionnaire. The survey responses were collected extensively, utilising News18’s network of reporters and stringers spread across the country.

They were also asked whether Canadian PM Justin Trudeau has damaged the relations with India and what seems to be his vote bank politics. The respondents were also asked to analyse the manner in which the Narendra Modi government has handled the issue and whether, in general, India has the right to eliminate terrorists, if foreign governments do not cooperate with their prosecution.

THE SURVEY

The survey captured a total of 4,254 responses. After an initial review, responses were filtered to ensure quality and relevance, resulting in a final data set of 2,436 retained responses, with 1,818 responses filtered out. Age-based and regional distribution were also considered to ensure a diverse and representative sample. Responses also focussed on states like Punjab, Gujarat which have large expatriate populations.

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While the less than 18 years group accounted for 1.44% of responses, 18-25 years accounted for 17.78%. The 26-35 age group formed the largest portion with 32.88% of respondents. The 36-45 age group comprised 26.56%, while the 46-55 years group contributed 14.98% and the 56-65 age group accounted for 5.21% of the respondents. Those aged above 66 accounted for 1.11% of the responses.

THE STRAIN IN TIES

The ties between the two countries became strained when Trudeau recently named Indian High Commissioner Sanjay Kumar Verma as a person of interest in an investigation, without naming the case. A person of interest means a suspect who is not arrested. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) strongly rejected the Trudeau government’s claims, calling them “preposterous imputations”. India then expelled six Canadian diplomats and asked them to leave India by or before October 19, 2024, Saturday.

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Trudeau later admitted that he had not provided India with concrete proof regarding the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar on Canadian soil while testifying before the Public Inquiry into Foreign Interference in Federal Electoral Processes and Democratic Institutions in Ottawa, bolstering India’s claims. CNN-News18, through numerous reports from intelligence sources, highlighted how Trudeau may have acted to appease the Khalistanis and the Pakistan link to the problem.

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