India summoned Canada’s Charge d’Affaires, Stewart Wheeler, to protest against the targeting of its diplomats in Canada.
The Ministry of External Affairs expressed concern over the safety of Indian officials, including High Commissioner Sanjay Kumar Verma, amid an atmosphere of extremism.
India accused the Trudeau government of supporting anti-India elements for political gains and decided to withdraw its High Commissioner and other officials from Canada.
The Indian government warned that it might take further action if Canada continues its current stance, citing past incidents where Canada ignored India’s extradition requests for criminals.
India condemned Canada’s diplomatic communication suggesting that Indian diplomats were “persons of interest” in an investigation, labelling it as baseless and politically motivated.
The Indian government criticised Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s alleged hostility towards India, citing past incidents where he supported separatist elements and interfered in Indian politics for political gain.
India stated that Trudeau’s latest actions were an attempt to distract from domestic issues related to foreign interference in Canadian politics. The Indian government accused Canada of creating a safe environment for extremists and terrorists, citing death threats against Indian officials in Canada and the fast-tracking of citizenship for illegal entrants. It criticised the Canadian government’s approach of justifying extremist activities as “freedom of speech.”
The Ministry of External Affairs also pointed to Canada’s failure to act on extradition requests related to terrorists and organised crime figures. It warned that India reserved the right to take reciprocal action based on the latest developments, emphasising its dissatisfaction with the Canadian government’s stance.
Tensions between the two countries have been high since Prime Minister Trudeau accused India of involvement in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in 2023. India has denied these claims, calling them absurd and motivated. Nijjar, labelled a terrorist by India, was killed outside a gurdwara in Surrey, Canada, in June 2023.
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