Nijjar row: India to withdraw high commissioner, other ‘targeted’ diplomats from Canada; expels 6 Canadian diplomats

India to pull Indian High Commissioner named as ‘Person of Interest’ in Nijjar killing case

India on Monday decided to withdraw its High Commissioner and other “targeted” diplomats and officials from Canada in response to Ottawa’s attempt to link them to a probe into the killing of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced the decision shortly after summoning the Canadian charge d’affaires.

New Delhi expelled 6 Canadian Diplomats: Stewart Ross Wheeler, Acting High Commissioner, Patrick Hebert, Deputy High Commissioner, Marie Catherine Joly, First Secretary, lan Ross David Trites, First Secretary, Adam James Chuipka, First Secretary, Paula Orjuela, First Secretary. They have been asked to leave India by or before 11:59 PM on Saturday, October 19, 2024.

“The Canadian Charge d’Affaires was summoned by Secretary (East) this evening. He was informed that the baseless targeting of the Indian High Commissioner and other diplomats and officials in Canada was completely unacceptable,” the MEA said. “It was underlined that in an atmosphere of extremism and violence, the Trudeau government’s actions endangered their safety. We have no faith in the current Canadian government’s commitment to ensure their security,” it said in a statement.

“Therefore, the Government of India has decided to withdraw the High Commissioner and other targeted diplomats and officials,” the MEA said. “It was also conveyed that India reserves the right to take further steps in response to the Trudeau government’s support for extremism, violence and separatism against India,” it said.

Breaking: Trudeau Escalates Situation, India Hits Back. “Deliberate strategy of smearing India for political gains”, after Canada says Indian High Commissioner & other diplomats are ‘persons of interest’ in a matter related to “an investigation” pic.twitter.com/jgbaqWKHXS

— Sidhant Sibal (@sidhant) October 14, 2024

Earlier in the morning, India came down heavily on after the Justin Trudeau government attempted to link the Indian high commissioner to a probe into the killing of Sikh extremist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, and New Delhi warned action against the “concocted” allegations against its diplomat.

In a hard-hitting response, India, strongly rejecting the allegations against High Commissioner Sanjay Kumar Verma, described the charges as “preposterous imputations” and ascribed them to the “political agenda of the Trudeau government that is centered around vote bank politics“.

“Since Prime Minister Trudeau made certain allegations in September 2023, the Canadian government has not shared evidence with the Government of India, despite many requests from our side,” the MEA said. The relations between India and Canada came under severe strain following Prime Minister Trudeau’s allegations in September last year of the “potential” involvement of Indian agents in the killing of Nijjar.

Nijjar was gunned down in Surrey, British Columbia, in June last year. New Delhi had rejected Trudeau’s charges as “absurd”. On Canada’s latest charges, the MEA said it “leaves little doubt that on the pretext of an investigation, there is a deliberate strategy of smearing India for political gains”.

“To that end, 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,” 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,” it added. The MEA 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,” it said. “The Government of India has taken cognizance of the activities of the Canadian High Commission in India that serve the political agenda of the current regime,” it said.

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