India on Monday requested Canadian diplomats in New Delhi to depart the nation by Saturday after Ottawa stated it was investigating its Indian ambassador and different diplomats as “individuals of curiosity”, after the killing final 12 months of a Sikh separatist chief.
In a tit-for-tat transfer, Canada too has requested six Indian diplomats to depart the nation after its police collected proof they have been a part of an Indian authorities “marketing campaign of violence”.
“The Government of India has determined to expel the next 6 Canadian Diplomats: Mr. Stewart Ross Wheeler, Acting High Commissioner; Mr. Patrick Hebert, Deputy High Commissioner; Ms. Marie Catherine Joly, First Secretary; Mr. lan Ross David Trites, First Secretary; Mr. Adam James Chuipka, First Secretary; Ms. Paula Orjuela, First Secretary. They have been requested to depart India by or earlier than 11:59 PM on Saturday, October 19, 2024,” the Ministry of External Affairs stated in a press assertion.
Earlier at this time, India had summoned Canada’s Charge d’Affaires Stewart Wheeler and conveyed that the baseless concentrating on of the Indian High Commissioner and different diplomats and officers in Canada was fully unacceptable.
Withdrawing its personal diplomats, New Delhi said it has “no religion within the present Canadian Government’s dedication to make sure their safety” after strongly dismissing Ottawa’s allegations linking the envoy to an investigation into the killing of Sikh extremist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, in a significant downturn in already frosty ties between the 2 nations.
New Delhi stated their envoy, Sanjay Kumar Verma, a former ambassador to Japan and Sudan, was a revered profession diplomat and that accusations in opposition to him have been “ludicrous and need to be handled with contempt”.
It stated it was underlined to the Canada’s Charge d’Affaires that in an environment of extremism and violence, the Trudeau Government’s actions endangered their security and the federal government had determined to withdraw its High Commissioner to Canada and different focused diplomats and officers.
The authorities conveyed that India reserves the suitable to take additional steps in response to the “Trudeau Government’s assist for extremism, violence and separatism in opposition to India”.
“Prime Minister Trudeau’s hostility to India has lengthy been in proof. In 2018, his go to to India, which was aimed toward currying favour with a vote financial institution, rebounded to his discomfort. His Cabinet has included people who’ve brazenly related to an extremist and separatist agenda concerning India. His bare interference in Indian inside politics in December 2020 confirmed how far he was keen to go on this regard,” the Ministry stated.
Nijjar — who immigrated to Canada in 1997 and have become a citizen in 2015 — had advocated for a separate Sikh state, generally known as Khalistan, carved out of India. He had been needed by Indian authorities for alleged terrorism and conspiracy to commit homicide.
The relations between India and Canada got here below extreme pressure following Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s allegations in September final 12 months of a “potential” involvement of Indian brokers within the killing of Nijjar.
Nijjar was gunned down in Surrey, British Columbia, in June final 12 months. New Delhi had rejected Trudeau’s costs as “absurd”.