Already the storm Relations between India and Canada took a dramatic turn on Monday, with Canada effectively accusing the Indian high commissioner Sanjay Verma and other Indian diplomats that they were linked to the assassination of Khalistan separatist Hardeep Singh Nijar. In a sharp response, the Indian government, rejecting the “ridiculous” allegations, threatened action against the Canadian mission here for serving the “political agenda” of Justin Trudeau government.
Recognizing a diplomatic communication from Canada suggesting that Verma and other diplomats were persons of interest in “a matter related to an investigation in that country”, India strongly rejected the “absurd” allegations and attributed them to Trudeau’s vote bank policy.
While reiterating that the Canadian government has not shared any evidence to support Trudeau’s claims last year of Indian involvement in the Nijjar case, the government said in a long and scathing response that the latest allegations, which followed several rounds of exchanges between the two countries, also were not supported by facts.
“This leaves no doubt that under the pretext of investigation there is a deliberate strategy to tarnish 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 favor with a vote bank, backfired to his discomfort,” the Indian government said.
“His cabinet includes individuals who have been openly associated with an extremist and separatist agenda regarding India. His open interference in India’s domestic politics in December 2020 showed how far he was willing to go in this regard,” it added, while recalling the Trudeau government’s support for the 2020 Delhi farmer protests.
Canada’s diplomatic communication followed a meeting last week between Trudeau and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Laos, after which the Canadian prime minister said there were real issues between the two countries that needed to be resolved. Indian government sources responded by saying there had been no substantive engagement between the leaders and that bilateral ties could only be restored if Canada took verifiable action against the Khalistan separatists.
Noting the activities of the Canadian High Commission in India that serve the Trudeau government’s “political agenda,” the government said this led to the application of the principle of reciprocity in relation to diplomatic representation. Last year, India forced Canada to withdraw 41 Canadian diplomats accused of engaging in anti-India activities. “India now reserves the right to take further steps in response to these latest efforts by the Canadian government to frame charges against Indian diplomats,” the government said.
In its response, India also said that under criticism for turning a blind eye to foreign interference in Canadian politics, the Trudeau government had deliberately brought in India in an effort to mitigate the damage.
“This latest development targeting Indian diplomats is now the next step in that direction. It is no coincidence that this is happening when Prime Minister Trudeau is about to be impeached before a Commission on Foreign Interference,” the government said, adding that the latest accusations also serve the anti-Indian separatist agenda that the Trudeau government has consistently pandered to narrowly political goals gains.
“To this end, the Trudeau government has knowingly provided space for violent extremists and terrorists to harass, threaten and intimidate Indian diplomats and community leaders in Canada. This included death threats to them and to Indian leaders. All these activities are justified in the name of freedom of speech,” the government said.
India also said some individuals who entered Canada illegally were fast-tracked for citizenship, while recalling that extradition requests from India for terrorists and organized crime leaders living in Canada had not been taken into account. It said Verma is India’s most senior diplomat with a distinguished career spanning 36 years and has served as ambassador to Japan and Sudan, and has also served in Italy, Turkey, Vietnam and China.
The smears leveled at him by the Canadian government are absurd and deserve to be treated with contempt, the government said.
Govt slams Canada for calling Indian HC person of interest in Nijjar case | News from India – Times of India
