India withdraws its envoy, other targeted diplomats from Canada

In what could be one of the lowest points in relations between the two countries, India on Monday evening decided to withdraw its High Commissioner and "other targeted diplomats and officials" from Canada following Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's continued "hostility" towards the country.

The decision was conveyed to Canadian Chargé d'Affaires Stewart Wheeler who was summoned to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Secretary (East) in New Delhi and informed that the "baseless targeting" of the Indian High Commissioner and other diplomats and officials in Canada was completely unacceptable.

"It was underlined that in an atmosphere of extremism and violence, the Trudeau Government's actions endangered their safety. 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," read the statement.

"It was also conveyed that India reserves the right to take further steps in response to the Trudeau Government's support for extremism, violence and separatism against India," it added.

Earlier in the day, India had issued a strongly-worded statement, calling the diplomatic communication received from Canada on Sunday - suggesting that the Indian High Commissioner and other diplomats are 'persons of interest' in a matter related to an investigation in that country - as "preposterous imputations".

New Delhi asserted once again that the Trudeau government has "consciously provided" space to violent extremists and terrorists to harass, threaten and intimidate Indian diplomats and community leaders in Canada.

"We have received a diplomatic communication from Canada yesterday suggesting that the Indian High Commissioner and other diplomats are 'persons of interest' in a matter related to an investigation in that country. The Government of India strongly rejects these preposterous imputations and ascribes them to the political agenda of the Trudeau Government that is centered around vote bank politics," read the MEA statement issued on Monday afternoon.

"Since Prime Minister Trudeau made certain allegations in September 2023, the Canadian Government has not shared a shred of evidence with the Government of India, despite many requests from our side. This latest step follows interactions that have again witnessed assertions without any facts. This leaves little doubt that on the pretext of an investigation, there is a deliberate strategy of smearing India for political gains," it added.

With Hindu temples in Canada being constantly vandalised with hateful graffiti by Khalistani goons in Canada and Hindu-Canadians also repeatedly targeted, India has time and again made it clear that any further deterioration in bilateral ties would eventually result in a big loss for Canada.

The MEA on Monday also detailed Canadian PM Trudeau's "hostility to India" which it said has long been in evidence.

"In 2018, his visit to India, which was aimed at currying favour with a vote bank, rebounded to his discomfort. His Cabinet has included individuals who have openly associated with an extremist and separatist agenda regarding India. His naked interference in Indian internal politics in December 2020 showed how far he was willing to go in this regard. That his Government was dependent on a political party, whose leader openly espouses a separatist ideology vis-a-vis India, only aggravated matters.

"Under criticism for turning a blind eye to foreign interference in Canadian politics, his Government has deliberately brought in India in an attempt to mitigate the damage. This latest development targeting Indian diplomats is now the next step in that direction. 

It is no coincidence that it takes place as Prime Minister Trudeau is to depose before a Commission on foreign interference. It also serves the anti-India separatist agenda that the Trudeau Government has constantly pandered to for narrow political gains," it said.

New Delhi stated that the Trudeau Government has "consciously" provided space to violent extremists and terrorists to harass, threaten and intimidate Indian diplomats and community leaders in Canada. This has included death threats to them and to Indian leaders.

"All these activities have been justified in the name of freedom of speech. Some individuals who have entered Canada illegally have been fast-tracked for citizenship. Multiple extradition requests from the Government of India in respect of terrorists and organized crime leaders living in Canada have been disregarded," the MEA statement mentioned.

It added that High Commissioner Sanjay Kumar Verma is India's senior-most serving diplomat with a distinguished career spanning 36 years. 

Having been an Ambassador in Japan and Sudan, while also serving in Italy, Turkey, Vietnam and China, it slammed Ottawa for casting aspersions on him, terming them as "ludicrous" and deserve to be treated with contempt.

At the same time, the ministry also said that the Indian government has taken cognizance of the activities of the Canadian High Commission in India that serve the political agenda of the current regime.

"This led to the implementation of the principle of reciprocity in regard to diplomatic representation. India now reserves the right to take further steps in response to these latest efforts of the Canadian Government to concoct allegations against Indian diplomats," the MEA stated.

Last week, Trudeau had claimed that he had "brief exchange" with PM Modi in Laos on the sidelines of the ASEAN Summit.