New Delhi [India], January 18 (ANI): Veteran Canadian journalist Terry Milewski has described Prime Minister Narendra Modi as 'enormously clever' and 'quite ruthless,' saying he may be one of the few leaders capable of simultaneously navigating the sensitive Hardeep Singh Nijjar murder trial in Canada and a potential trade pact, despite lingering diplomatic tensions between the two countries, which began after Ottawa, under former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, accused the Indian government of involvement in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Nijjar.

Speaking in an interview with ANI, Milewski said the Nijjar issue has become a major stumbling block in bilateral ties, even though most Canadians are largely unfamiliar with the slain Khalistani separatist leader, arguing that the controversy was amplified by a small but influential group of Khalistan supporters in Canada.

'I will take my hat off. If anyone can do it, probably Narendra Modi is the man. He's an enormously clever man, and he's also quite ruthless. And you can add Amit Shah into the mix and so on,' Milewski said.

Addressing allegations against India, Milewski said he does not believe Canada's law enforcement agencies are corrupt or acting under political pressure. He stressed that the matter is now before the courts and will be decided through due legal process.

'This thing is going to court. There will be charges, people under oath, and evidence made public. The [Canadian] Prime Minister cannot simply call the RCMP and shut it down,' he said.

The remarks come in the context of the strained ties between the two sides in recent years, primarily due to concerns over Canada's perceived leniency towards Khalistani separatist elements and Canada's allegations that Indian agents were involved in the killing of NIA-designated terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar outside a gurdwara in Canada in 2023.

India had strongly rejected the allegations, calling them 'politically motivated'.

Milewski further stated that the Khalistan movement in Canada is driven by a 'polished elite group' that is adept at exploiting political opportunities, adding that while Khalistan can become an obstacle to India-Canada relations, it should not outweigh broader economic and strategic interests.

He further called the current situation an 'unsettled' settlement between the two governments.

'It can be a stumbling block if people are stupid enough to resort to murder in the streets of Canada. And that's why this row began. And that's why it had to be at least pretend settled. It's a subterfuge... Is it worth it? No, absolutely not. Most people in Canada have no idea who Hardeep Singh Nijjar was. Indians said he was a terrorist. Do they have terrorists in India? Canadians know nothing about all this. And most Sikhs don't care about it either. They're not clamouring,' the Veteran Journalist said.

'There's a polished elite group of Khalistanis in Canada, more than in any other in the world, including India, who are good at this. They're good at seizing on opportunity,' he added.

Explaining why Khalistan supporters focus solely on Indian Punjab and not Pakistani Punjab, Milewski called the position 'bizarre' but revealing, pointing out that many important Sikh sites are located in Pakistan.

'Makes absolutely no sense at all, particularly when there are so many very important historical and cultural sites in Pakistani Punjab, which they don't seem to be interested in. Nankana Sahib is the birthplace of the founder of the Sikh religion. They're not claiming,' he said,

According to Milewski, the real reason is that Pakistan's long-standing support for the Khalistan movement is that 'without Pakistani support, their movement dies.'

'They've depended on Pakistan from the very beginning. If they started claiming parts of Pakistan, the movement would collapse,' the veteran Journalist noted.

He concluded by warning that the killing of Nijjar, regardless of who was responsible, ultimately benefited the Khalistan movement by giving it a significant propaganda boost.

'Whoever killed Nijjar made a great mistake and gave a gift to the Khalistan movement... It hasn't been settled because that will come back and they will come back because of that dynamic where they have been given a propaganda boost that they could not have bought in a million years,' Milewski said, adding that the movement remains active, organised and increasingly sophisticated. (ANI)