India hits back at Canada's 'persons of interest' accusations; calls it Trudeau's vote-bank politics
India and Canada relations plunged to a new low on Monday.
The Ministry of External Affairs dismissed Canada's request seeking to question New Delhi's diplomats in relation to an ongoing investigation.
The aspersions cast by the Government of Canada are 'ludicrous' and deserve to be treated with contempt, the MEA said while ascribing Canada's actions as part of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's vote-bank politics.
The MEA said a diplomatic communication was received from Canada on Sunday. The communication suggested that the Indian High Commissioner Sanjay Verma and other diplomats are ‘persons of interest’ in a matter related to an investigation in Canada.
Sources said 'persons of interest' is a diplomatic word for Canadian authorities wanting to question the Indian diplomats.
The MEA said: "The Government of India strongly rejects these preposterous imputations and ascribes them to the political agenda of Trudeau's government that is centered around vote-bank politics."
High Commissioner Sanjay 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," the MEA said.
It went on the warn the Canadians saying, "Government of India has taken cognisance of the activities of the Canadian High Commission in India that serve the political agenda of the current regime".
"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," the MEA statement said.
Since Prime Minister Trudeau made certain allegations in September 2023, the Canadian government has not shared a shred of evidence with India, despite many requests from our side, the MEA said .
India said the 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.
Prime Minister Trudeau’s hostility to 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 to his discomfort.
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 December 2020 showed how far he was willing to go in this regard.
MEA said Trudeau's government was dependent on a political party, whose leader openly espouses a separatist ideology vis-à-vis India. 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. This latest development targeting Indian diplomats is now the next step in that direction.
It is no coincidence that this diplomatic communication has come as Prime Minister Trudeau is to depose before a Commission on foreign interference in his country.
It also serves the anti-India separatist agenda that the Trudeau government has constantly pandered to for narrow political gains, the MEA said.
The Trudeau government has consciously provided space to violent extremists and terrorists to harass, threaten and intimidate Indian diplomats and community leaders in Canada. This has included death threats to them and to Indian leaders. 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.
