Amid tensions between India and Canada, the Ministry of External Affairs has rejected allegations and suggestions made by the Canadian government that Indian High Commissioner to Canada Sanjay Kumar Verma was a ‘stakeholder’ in the murder case of Hardeep Singh Nijjar. In a strongly worded statement, the Indian government “rejected these absurd allegations and called them part of the Trudeau government’s political agenda, which focuses on vote bank politics.”
The Ministry of External Affairs further said, “High Commissioner Sanjay Kumar Verma is India’s most senior serving diplomat, with an illustrious career spanning 36 years. The allegations leveled against him by the Government of Canada are ridiculous and he should be treated with contempt.”
Diplomatic relations between India and Canada reached an all-time low in September 2023, when Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused the Indian government of conducting covert operations on Canadian soil and alleged that Khalistani separatists and New Delhi had a role in the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a terrorist designated by the Indian government.
The diplomatic dispute led to a temporary ban on visas between the two countries, reduced diplomatic presence in India and stalled trade talks. India has repeatedly rejected the Trudeau administration’s claims, calling them “absurd” and “politically motivated”.
The MEA said India now reserves the right to take further steps in response to “these latest efforts by the Government of Canada to fabricate allegations against Indian diplomats”. “Since Prime Minister Trudeau made certain allegations in September 2023, the Government of Canada has not shared even a shred of evidence with the Government of India despite multiple requests from our side,” the Ministry of External Affairs said.
It said Canada’s latest move comes after talks that again made claims without any facts. “This leaves no doubt that this is a deliberate strategy to malign India for political gains under the guise of investigation,” the Ministry of External Affairs said. It said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s hostility towards India has been evident for a long time.
In 2018, his trip to India, which was aimed “to curry favor with the vote bank, made him uncomfortable”. “His Cabinet includes individuals who are openly associated with extremist and separatist agenda with respect to India,” the Ministry of External Affairs said.
“Their blatant interference in Indian internal politics in December 2020 shows the extent to which they are willing to go in this regard,” it said. “His government was dependent on a political party whose leaders openly support separatist ideology against India, which made matters worse,” the Ministry of External Affairs said.
Relations between India and Canada came under severe strain last September after Trudeau alleged the “possible” involvement of Indian agents in the killing of Khalistani extremist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Nijjar was shot dead in Surrey, British Columbia in June last year.
New Delhi rejected Trudeau’s allegations as “absurd”. “After coming under criticism for turning a blind eye to foreign interference in Canadian politics, his government has deliberately included India in an effort to minimize the damage,” the Foreign Ministry said. It said this latest development targeting Indian diplomats is now the next step in that direction. “It is no coincidence that this incident occurred at a time when Prime Minister Trudeau is scheduled to testify before a commission on foreign interference,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
“It also serves the anti-India separatist agenda that the Trudeau government has consistently promoted for narrow political gains,” it said. “To that end, the Trudeau government has knowingly given space to violent extremists and terrorists to harass, threaten and intimidate Indian diplomats and community leaders in Canada, including issuing death threats against them and Indian leaders,” the Foreign Ministry said. Is included.”
The Foreign Ministry said, “All of these activities are justified in the name of freedom of expression. Some individuals who have entered Canada illegally have been fast-tracked for citizenship. Terrorists living in Canada And several extradition requests from the Government of India regarding organized crime leaders have been ignored.”
The Ministry of External Affairs said that High Commissioner Sanjay Kumar Verma is India’s senior-most serving diplomat, with a distinguished career spanning 36 years. “He has been ambassador to Japan and Sudan, while also serving in Italy, Turkey, Vietnam and China. The allegations made against him by the Government of Canada are ridiculous and worthy of contempt,” it says. It said, “The Government of India takes cognizance of the activities of the Canadian High Commission in India which serve the political agenda of the current regime.”
