The India-Canada row over the killing of Khalistani plumber/ cook/ gurdwara cleaner/ arranger of furniture/ activist/ leader/ priest Hardeep Singh Nijjar—these are some of the ways that Western media has described him—is getting funnier by the day.

The Financial Times says that Canadian officials verbally presented evidence of Indian intelligence agencies’ involvement in the murder to their Indian counterparts, but India refused to cooperate in the investigation. Now, according to news reports, Canada is seeking “private talks” with India on the matter. Meanwhile, Justin Trudeau is babbling about wanting to build “stronger ties with India”.

Why on earth should any government agree to take forward an investigation where another government presents verbal evidence that the former is culpable in a murder? If at all true, what the Canadian government is, in effect, saying is: Hey, we believe you are guilty but don’t really have any concrete evidence, so why don’t you just admit you are guilty and give us the evidence?

A sub-inspector in a village in India would try to do better than that.

Also, the prime minister of a country accuses India publicly, in his parliament, of murder and then publicly seeks private talks with India! What sort of clown show is this?

However, jokes apart, the last two weeks have shredded the carefully stitched veil that leaders, commentators and journalists from the West have traditionally covered their faces with. That veil has suddenly been ripped off and the deep-seated superiority complex, post-colonial hangover and racism are exposed. And a certain existential confusion.