New Delhi, March 21 -- Former Indian High Commissioner to Canada Sanjay Kumar Verma said former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was "ill-advised" to publicly raise allegations linking India to the killing of Khalistani Separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, adding that the move put a strong bilateral relationship under strain.

Verma's remarks come after the Canadian National Police Chief, Mike Duheme, said that there is currently no evidence linking the Indian state to the Nijjar case, an issue that had triggered a major diplomatic rift between India and Canada.

Commenting on Trudeau's earlier statement about "credible allegation", Verma said the decision to raise the issue publicly had been misguided.

"He was ill-advised. The timing ...