India decides to withdraw High Commissioner and other diplomats and officials from Canada

The MEA came out in support of the Indian High Commissioner Verma describing him as India’s “senior-most serving diplomat” with a career of 36 years

In a dramatic turn of events, India on Monday (October 14, 2024) decided to withdraw its High Commissioner and other senior diplomats and officials who were earlier declared by the Canadian government as “persons of interest” because of their alleged role in the 2023 killing of pro-Khalistan figure Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia.

The announcement was made soon after the Secretary (East) of the MEA summoned Stewart Wheeler, Chargé d’affaires of the High Commission of Canada and said the recent actions of the Justin Trudeau government had “endangered” the “safety” of the Indian diplomats stationed in Canda.

Earlier, in an unusually sharp response, India on Monday refuted a “diplomatic communication” from Canada in which the Indian High Commissioner Sanjay Kumar Verma and other Indian diplomats were described as “persons of interest” in the case of June 2023 murder of pro-Khalistan activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. The Ministry of External Affairs described the Canadian allegations as “preposterous imputations” arguing that the matter was linked with the political challenges that the Trudeau government is facing on the domestic front in Canada.

“We have received a diplomatic communication from Canada yesterday suggesting that the Indian High Commissioner and other diplomats are ‘persons of interest’ in a matter related to an investigation in that country. The Government of India strongly rejects these preposterous imputations and ascribes them to the political agenda of the Trudeau Government that is centred around vote bank politics,” declared the Ministry of External Affairs in a statement.

The Canadian diplomatic team here was conveyed that India could take further steps in safeguarding its interests. “India reserves the right to take further steps in response to the Trudeau Government’s support for extremism, violence and separatism against India,” said the MEA.

The MEA came out in support of the Indian High Commissioner Verma describing him as India’s “senior most serving diplomat” with a career of 36 years saying, “He has been Ambassador in Japan and Sudan, while also serving in Italy, Turkiye, Vietnam and China. The aspersions cast on him are ludicrous and deserve to be treated with contempt.”

Harjeet Singh Nijjar was found murdered by a group of unknown assailants on 18 June 2023. Subsequently, in September, soon after his return to Ottawa after attending the G20 summit in New Delhi, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had announced in the House of Commons that “Indian agents” were behind the killing of Mr Nijjar who worked in the Guru Nanak Gurdwara of Surrey, British Columbia in Canada. Bilateral ties took a hit and subsequently India frzoe visa facilities for Canadian citizens and additionally in October 2023, 41 Canadian diplomats were withdrawn from Canada’s missions in India. Canada’s Foreign Minister Melanie Joly had described India’s demand as violative of the Vienna Convention. India had denied that charge saying that the staff representation had to follow the principle of reciprocity. The freeze in visa processing was enforced till about November 2023 in view of the threats to Indian diplomats issued by extremist pro-Khalistan elements, the MEA had said.

The Indian statement declared that since Prime Minister Trudeau’s sensational accusation against Indian officials in September 2023, Ottawa has not shared a “shred of evidence” regarding the Nijjar case with India. “This leaves little doubt that on the pretext of an investigation, there is a deliberate strategy of smearing India for political gains.”

Monday’s statement accuses Prime Minister Trudeau of providing space to “violent extremists and terrorists” who have harassed and threatened Indian diplomats and community leaders in Canada. These actions, the MEA said were justified by the Canadian authorities “in the name of freedom of speech.” India alleged that “certain individuals” who entered Canada illegally have been “fast-tracked for citizenship” and that Canada has disregarded India’s extradition requests aimed at terrorists who are residing in Canada.

The MEA traced instances from 2018 when PM Trudeau had visited India and said his ministerial council had in the past included violent and secessionist elements who wanted to undermine India’s interest. The MEA said that the statement came right ahead of PM Trudeau’s appearance before a commission on foreign interference. “It also serves the anti-India separatist agenda that the Trudeau Government has constantly pondered to for narrow political gains,” said the MEA.

Published - October 14, 2024 02:42 pm IST