New Delhi:
Indian envoy to Canada Sanjay Kumar Verma – now withdrawn by New Delhi — has accused Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of wrecking bilateral ties with India and reiterated that Ottawa’s allegations are politically motivated. Ottawa has accused Mr Verma of getting hyperlinks to the homicide of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
India’s response to the allegations was to withdraw the diplomats. It was adopted by Canadian authorities’s transfer to formally expel them. India reiterated by ordering out six Canadian diplomats.
In an interview to CTV aired on Sunday, Mr Verma stated, “On the premise of intelligence, if you wish to destroy a relationship, be my visitor. And that is what he did”.
Justin Trudeau had particularly tied the Indian diplomats to the homicide of Nijjar that occurred final yr in British Columbia.
Asked whether or not he had had something to do with Nijjar’s homicide, Mr Verma stated: “Nothing in any respect. No proof was offered. (This is) politically motivated.”
“On what foundation do they need to query me… If you’re a defendant, for instance, which I’m not, then proof can be shared and that occurs even in case you are caught for a petty crime. If I’m going for an interrogation I must know what I’m interrogated for. I must know what proof you’ve got so I am going ready,” Mr Verma informed the Canadian community when requested about India’s refusal to hitch the so-called ongoing investigations.
Ties between the 2 nations – on a downward spiral since September final yr — have nosedived after the collection of contemporary allegations.
The Foreign Ministry has slammed Ottawa for its allegations towards Mr Verma — one of many nation’s senior-most diplomats who has served in Japan, Sudan, Italy, Turkey, Vietnam and China.
The allegations, India stated, have been “ludicrous” and deserved to be handled with contempt. New Delhi stated it has “no religion within the present Canadian Government’s dedication to make sure their safety”.