The already frosty Indo-Canadian relations plummeted towards a deep freeze Monday, with New Delhi slamming a “a diplomatic communication from Canada suggesting that the Indian High Commissioner and other diplomats are ‘persons of interest’ in a matter related to an investigation in that country.”
Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has publicly accused Indian officials of being involved in the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Khalistani terrorist who was shot dead in Surrey, Ontario in June year. India has categorically rejected the claim and has asked for evidence substantiating the grave allegations.
“The Government of India strongly rejects these preposterous imputations and ascribes them to the political agenda of the Trudeau Government that is centered around vote bank politics,” India’s .ministry of External Affairs said in a release Sunday afternoon.
The Trudeau government depends on the support of the New Democratic Party, led by Jagmeet Singh, a known India-baiter and Khalistani supporter, for survival.
“Since Prime Minister Trudeau made certain allegations in September 2023, the Canadian Government has not shared a shred of evidence with the Government of India, despite many requests from our side. This latest step follows interactions that have again witnessed assertions without any facts. This leaves little doubt that on the pretext of an investigation, there is a deliberate strategy of smearing India for political gains,” the MEA release said.
In the long (500 word) release, the MEA pointed out that “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. His Cabinet has included individuals who have openly associated with an extremist and separatist agenda regarding India.”
Then, “his naked interference in Indian internal politics in December 2020 showed how far he was willing to go in this regard. That his Government was dependent on a political party, whose leader openly espouses a separatist ideology vis-à-vis India, only aggravated matters. Under criticism for turning a blind eye to foreign interference in Canadian politics, his Government has deliberately brought in India in an attempt to mitigate the damage,” it said. “It also serves the anti-India separatist agenda that the Trudeau Government has constantly pandered to for narrow political gains.”
Accusing the Trudeau Government of “consciously provided space to violent extremists and terrorists to harass, threaten and intimidate Indian diplomats and community leaders in Canada,” including death threats,” the MEA said “All these activities have been justified in the name of freedom of speech.
“Some individuals who have entered Canada illegally have been fast-tracked for citizenship. Multiple extradition requests from the Government of India in respect of terrorists and organized crime leaders living in Canada have been disregarded,” the release said.
“High Commissioner Sanjay Kumar Verma is India’s senior most serving diplomat with a distinguished career spanning 36 years. He has been Ambassador in Japan and Sudan, while also serving in Italy, Turkiye, Vietnam and China. The aspersions cast on him by the
Government of Canada are ludicrous and deserve to be treated with contempt.”
Delhi had “taken cognizance of the activities of the Canadian High Commission in India that serve the political agenda of the current regime,” which led to the implementation of the principle of reciprocity in regard to diplomatic representation, it noted
“India now reserves the right to take further steps in response to these latest efforts of the Canadian Government to concoct allegations against Indian diplomats,” it warned.
