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NEW DELHI: India on Monday rejected the recent diplomatic communication from Canada, which suggested that the Indian High Commissioner and other diplomats were ‘persons of interest’ in an ongoing investigation.
The ministry of external affairs (MEA) called the allegations baseless and politically motivated, attributing them to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau‘s domestic agenda and adding that his “hostility towards India” has long been in evidence.
“The Government of India strongly rejects these preposterous imputations and ascribes them to the political agenda of the Trudeau government that is centred around vote bank politics,” the MEA said, highlighting that the accusations have no foundation and are part of a broader scheme by Trudeau’s government to manipulate narratives ahead of critical political events.
The MEA pointed to his 2018 visit to India, which it claimed was aimed at winning favour with certain political constituencies back home. It also highlighted the inclusion of individuals in Trudeau’s cabinet with links to extremist and separatist agendas that threaten India’s internal unity.
“Prime Minister Trudeau’s hostility to India 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,” the statement read.
The MEA referenced past events as a reminder of the strained ties between the two nations, worsened by what India sees as Trudeau’s repeated interference in its internal affairs.
The MEA accused Trudeau’s government of relying on support from political parties that openly back separatism in India. “That his government was dependent on a political party, whose leader openly espouses a separatist ideology vis-à-vis India, only aggravated matters,” the statement added.
The accusation from Canada comes at a time when Trudeau’s government is facing domestic scrutiny over foreign interference in its own political system. MEA alleged that Trudeau’s latest move against Indian diplomats is part of an effort to deflect attention from those allegations.
“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.” the MEA said in the statement.
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