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Diplomatic tensions between India and Canada peaked on Monday with the Centre deciding to withdraw the High Commissioner and other “targeted diplomats and officials”.
The announcement came shortly after the ministry of external affairs summoned Canada’s charge d’ affairs Stewart Wheeler over PM Justin Trudeau‘s serious allegations against New Delhi.
“The Canadian Charge d’Affaires was summoned by Secretary (East) this evening.He was informed that the baseless targeting of the Indian High Commissioner and other diplomats and officials in Canada was completely unacceptable,” the MEA said in a statement.
“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. 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,” the MEA said after meeting Wheeler.
‘Provided credible evidence’: Canada
Coming out of the MEA office, Wheeler gave a short statement to reporters: “Canada has provided credible, irrefutable evidence of ties between agents of the Government of India and the murder of a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil. Now, it is time for India to live up to what it said it would do and look into all those allegations. It is in the interest of both our countries and the people of our countries to get to the bottom of this. Canada stands ready to cooperate with India.”
The foreign ministry’s action followed the Centre’s condemnation of Canada’s decision to investigate the Indian ambassador and other diplomats as “persons of interest” likely in connection with the assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Khalistani terrorist.
India strongly rejected Trudeau’s allegations against its diplomats, calling them “baseless” and politically motivated. The ministry of external affairs (MEA) accused Trudeau of using anti-India rhetoric for domestic political gains, citing his past association with separatist elements.
“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 in a statement.
“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. That his Government was dependent on a political party, whose leader openly espouses a separatist ideology vis-à-vis India, only aggravated matters,” it had said.
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