India, Canada in diplomatic war
The India-Canada relationship went into a deep spin today, with both countries expelling six diplomats each in a tit-for-tat move after the Canadian authorities named Indian Ambassador Sanjay Kumar Verma as a “person of interest”.
The Ministry of External Affairs, however, said it was withdrawing High Commissioner Verma and five other diplomats, citing their security, while simultaneously expelling six Canadian diplomats from its mission in New Delhi. The Canadian diplomats have been told to leave by October 19.
On Monday evening in Ottawa, the police authorities said they had evidence of “serious criminal activity” in Canada with connection to “agents of the Government of India,” CBC reported.
Those expelled by India are Acting High Commissioner Stewart Ross Wheeler, Deputy High Commissioner Patrick Hebert, First Secretary Marie Catherine Joly, First Secretary Ian Ross David Trites, First Secretary Adam James Chuipka and First Secretary Paula Orjuela.
The MEA withdrew the Indian High Commissioner and other diplomats from Canada, accusing PM Trudeau’s government of supporting violence and separatism against India. The Indian reaction was triggered by a diplomatic communication from Canada on Sunday, which suggested that Verma and the other diplomats were “persons of interest” in a matter related to an investigation in Canada.
Sources said this pertained to the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada last year and “persons of interest” meant they could be questioned. On Monday evening, Canadian charge d’affaires was summoned by Secretary (East) Jaideep Mazumdar in the MEA and a strongly worded statement followed. It said: “We have no faith in the current Canadian government’s commitment to ensuring security (of the diplomats)”.
Earlier in the day, the MEA said the aspersions cast by Canada were “ludicrous” and deserved to be treated with contempt. It said Canada’s actions were part of Trudeau’s vote bank politics.
India strongly rejected the Canadian communication, saying “these are preposterous imputations and (part of) the political agenda of the Trudeau government”.
Verma is India’s seniormost serving diplomat with a career spanning 36 years. He has been the Ambassador to Japan and Sudan, and has also served in Italy, Turkiye, Vietnam and China.
The MEA said, “The Canadian allegations leave little doubt that on the pretext of an investigation, there is a deliberate strategy of smearing India for political gains.”
Referring to the ongoing investigation in Canada, the MEA said since the time Trudeau made allegations in September 2023, the Canadian government had not shared a shred of evidence with India. The MEA warned Canada saying, “The Government of India has taken cognisance of the activities of the Canadian High Commission in India that serves the political agenda of the current regime”.
Trudeau’s hostility towards India has long been evident, said the MEA, adding that in 2018, his visit to India, which was aimed at currying favour with a vote bank, rebounded. His Cabinet had included individuals who had openly associated with an extremist and separatist agenda regarding India.
The MEA said the Trudeau government was dependent on a political party whose leader openly espoused a separatist ideology vis-a-vis India. Under criticism for turning a blind eye to foreign interference in Canadian politics, his government had deliberately brought in India in an attempt to mitigate the damage.
Trudeau is to depose before a commission on foreign interference in his country.
The MEA said the Trudeau government had consciously provided space to extremists and terrorists to harass, threaten and intimidate Indian diplomats and community leaders in Canada.
This had included death threats to them and to Indian leaders. All these activities had been justified in the name of freedom of speech, it said.
