India withdraws its High Commissioner to Canada, other diplomats after Canada’s move to implicate them in Hardeep Nijjar killing
India withdrew its High Commissioner to Canada, Sanjay Kumar Verma, as well as other top diplomats and officials due to escalation in the diplomatic dispute between the two nations.
The government responded to Canada’s identification of the Indian High Commissioner and other diplomats as ‘persons of interest’ in the investigation of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar’s killing.
The Ministry of External Affairs emphasized in a statement that the safety of diplomats was put at risk by the actions of the Trudeau Government in an environment of extremism and violence, leading to the withdrawal of India’s High Commissioner to Canada.
“We have no faith in the current Canadian Government’s commitment to ensure their security. Therefore, the Government of India has decided to withdraw the High Commissioner and other targeted diplomats and officials”, the statement said.
Shortly after India declared the recall of its ambassador to Ottawa, Canada removed six Indian diplomats, including High Commissioner SK Verma.
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MEA had summoned Canada envoy earlier after Ottawa’s accusations
Previously, the Ministry of External Affairs called for a meeting with the Canadian Charge d’Affaires in New Delhi, Stewart Wheeler. He was told that the baseless targeting of the Indian High Commissioner and other diplomats and officials in Canada was totally unacceptable.
The MEA statement also stated that India reserves the right to take additional actions in response to the Trudeau Government’s backing of extremism, violence, and separatism against India.
After departing from the MEA office in New Delhi, Wheeler declared that India must follow through on its commitments concerning Ottawa’s accusations.
“Canada has provided credible, irrefutable evidence of ties between agents of the Government of India and the murder of a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil. Now, it is time for India to live up to what it said it would do and look into all those allegations”, Wheeler said.
The Ministry of External Affairs stated that despite multiple requests, the Canadian government did not provide any evidence linking India to Nijjar’s murder. They also accused Trudeau of prioritizing vote bank politics over addressing separatist groups in Canada.
