A dramatic and unprecedented escalation in the year-long rift between India and Canada over the killing of pro-Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia in 2023 saw the former recalling high commissioner Sanjay Verma from Ottawa Monday after Canada alleged he and some other Indian diplomats were “persons of interest” in the murder.
Several other diplomats and officials were also withdrawn.A Washington Post report said Canada had expelled six diplomats, including Verma, but the Indian side insisted they had been recalled.
Late evening, New Delhi said it had expelled six Canadian diplomats, including the deputy high commissioner and charge d’affaires (acting high commissioner) Stewart Wheeler. They were asked to leave India by Oct 19 night.
New Delhi summoned Wheeler and told him that the “baseless targeting” of Verma and other diplomats and officials in Canada was “completely unacceptable, and that in an atmosphere of extremism and violence, Trudeau govt’s actions endangered their safety”.
Reserve right to take further steps: India
We have no faith in the current Canadian govt’s commitment to ensure their (Indian diplomats’) security. Therefore, govt of India has decided to withdraw the high commissioner and other targeted diplomats and officials,” New Delhi said, adding it also conveyed that India reserved the right to take further steps in response to the Trudeau govt’s support for extremism, violence and separatism against India.
In a scathing and lengthy response to the “ludicrous” allegation, which was conveyed to India in a diplomatic communication on Sunday, Indian govt accused Canada of “pandering to the anti-India separatist agenda” and threatened action against the Canadian mission here for serving the “political agenda” of the Trudeau govt.
The escalation by Canada followed a meeting last week between Trudeau and PM Narendra Modi in Laos after which the Canadian PM had said there were real issues between the two countries that needed to be addressed. Indian govt sources had responded by saying that there was no substantive engagement between the two and that bilateral ties could only be repaired if Canada took verifiable action against Khalistani separatists.
Earlier in the day, acknowledging a diplomatic communication from Canada claiming that Verma and other diplomats were persons of interest in “a matter related to an investigation” in that country, India strongly rejected the “preposterous” imputations and ascribed them to Trudeau’s vote bank politics.
While reiterating that the Canadian govt had not shared a shred of evidence to back Trudeau’s allegations last year about Indian involvement in the Nijjar case, govt said the latest assertions, which followed several rounds of exchanges between the two sides, were also not backed by facts. The intelligence community in both countries had remained in touch about the Nijjar probe but, according to Indian authorities, to no avail as Canada didn’t share any evidence.
“This leaves little doubt that on the pretext of an investigation, there is a deliberate strategy of smearing India for political gains. Prime Minister Trudeau’s hostility to India has long been in evidence. In 2018, his visit to India, which was aimed at currying favour with a vote bank, rebounded to his discomfort,” the Indian govt said.
“His cabinet has included individuals who have openly associated with an extremist and separatist agenda regarding India. His naked interference in Indian internal politics in Dec 2020 showed how far he was willing to go in this regard,” it added, while recalling the Trudeau govt’s support to the farmers’ protests in Delhi in 2020.
Taking cognisance of the activities of the Canadian high commission in India that served the “political agenda” of the Trudeau govt, India said this had led to implementation of the principle of reciprocity in regard to diplomatic representation. India had last year forced Canada to withdraw 41 diplomats alleging they were involved in anti-India activities. “India now reserves the right to take further steps in response to these latest efforts of the Canadian govt to concoct allegations against Indian diplomats,” govt said.
In its response, India also said that under criticism for turning a blind eye to foreign interference in Canadian politics, the Trudeau govt had deliberately brought in India in an attempt to mitigate the damage.
“This latest development targeting Indian diplomats is now the next step in that direction. It is no coincidence that it takes place as Prime Minister Trudeau is to depose before a commission on foreign interference,” govt said, adding the latest allegations also served the anti-India separatist agenda that the Trudeau govt has constantly pandered to for narrow political gains.
“To that end, the Trudeau govt has consciously provided space to violent extremists and terrorists to harass, threaten and intimidate Indian diplomats and community leaders in Canada,” the govt said.
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