India withdraws top envoy to Canada, others; expels six Canadian diplomats
Vinay Kumar
New Delhi: In a major escalation of diplomatic tensions between India and Canada, New Delhi announced the withdrawal of its High Commissioner and several other diplomats from Ottawa on Monday. This unprecedented move came in response to Canada’s allegations linking Indian diplomats, including High Commissioner Sanjay Verma, to an investigation into the killing of Sikh extremist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in 2023. India has firmly rejected these allegations as baseless and politically motivated, marking a new low in the already strained ties between the two nations.
Hours after recalling the Indian High Commissioner and some other officials from Canada, India also expelled six Canadian diplomats. The Canadian diplomats have been asked to leave India by or before 11:59 pm on October 19, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said. The diplomats who have been expelled are Stewart Ross Wheeler, Acting High Commissioner, Patrick Hebert, Deputy High Commissioner, Marie Catherine Joly, First Secretary and lan Ross David Trites, First Secretary. The other two diplomats are Adam James Chuipka, First Secretary, and Paula Orjuela, First Secretary.
The decision to pull back Indian diplomats was made public shortly after Canadian Charge d’Affaires Stewart Wheeler was summoned to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in New Delhi. During the meeting, MEA Secretary (East) Jaideep Mazumdar conveyed India’s strong objections to what it described as Canada’s “concocted” charges, dismissing them as part of a broader political agenda tied to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s domestic electoral considerations.
The MEA issued a sharp statement criticising the Trudeau government for “baseless targeting” of Indian officials, asserting that this latest diplomatic incident is rooted in vote bank politics. The ministry’s statement made clear that the accusations against High Commissioner Verma were “preposterous imputations” meant to distract from domestic challenges in Canada.
“We have no faith in the current Canadian government’s commitment to ensure their (Indian diplomats’) security. Therefore, the government of India has decided to withdraw the High Commissioner and other targeted diplomats,” the statement read.
India’s government expressed serious concerns about the Trudeau administration’s handling of the investigation into Nijjar’s killing, which has stoked extremist sentiments within segments of Canada’s Sikh community. The MEA emphasised that the environment of extremism and violence in Canada, exacerbated by the Canadian government’s actions, posed a direct threat to the safety of Indian diplomatic staff.
New Delhi also warned that it “reserves the right to take further steps” in response to what it perceives as Canada’s support for separatist elements that openly espouse anti-India rhetoric and violence.
The diplomatic spat centres around allegations that Indian agents were involved in the killing of Nijjar, a designated terrorist in India, who was shot dead outside a gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia, in June 2023. While the Trudeau government has maintained that it is investigating potential foreign interference in the case, Indian officials have repeatedly rejected these claims as “absurd” and politically motivated.
The controversy dates back to September 2023, when Prime Minister Trudeau publicly accused India of being potentially involved in Nijjar’s killing. Since then, bilateral relations have rapidly deteriorated, with both countries expelling diplomats and scaling back engagements on various fronts.
India, however, contends that Canada has failed to provide any substantive evidence to back up its allegations. “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,” the MEA stated, expressing frustration with the lack of transparency in the investigation.
Canadian Charge d’Affaires Wheeler, after being summoned by the MEA, reiterated Ottawa’s position, insisting that Canada had acted on credible information. “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,” Wheeler said to reporters. He urged India to investigate the allegations and cooperate with Canadian authorities in resolving the matter.
The Washington Post, citing Canadian officials, reported that Ottawa had expelled six Indian diplomats, including the High Commissioner. However, Indian officials clarified that the High Commissioner had been withdrawn by New Delhi as part of its diplomatic response to the escalating situation.
The newspaper also reported that Canadian intelligence had uncovered new information suggesting that a senior Indian official and the country’s spy agency were involved in a broader campaign targeting Indian dissidents abroad. This information, however, has yet to be substantiated or shared with the Indian government.
While the current diplomatic crisis is centred on Nijjar’s murder, it is not the first time India and Canada have clashed over issues related to Sikh extremism and separatism. The MEA pointed to Prime Minister Trudeau’s previous statements on India’s internal politics, including his controversial comments during the farmers’ protests in 2020, as part of a broader pattern of interference.
In its statement, the Indian government also criticised Trudeau’s Cabinet for including individuals with ties to Sikh separatist movements, accusing his government of pandering to extremist elements for political gains. “His Cabinet has included individuals who have openly associated with an extremist and separatist agenda regarding India,” the MEA said.
In its statement, the MEA also made a mention of what it called PM Trudeau’s “naked interference” in Indian internal politics in December 2020, apparently recalling the Canadian leader’s comments during the farmers’ agitation.
On Canada’s latest charges, the MEA said it “leaves little doubt that on the pretext of an investigation, there is a deliberate strategy of smearing India for political gains”.
It said Prime Minister Trudeau’s hostility to India has long been in evidence.
The 2018 visit by Trudeau to India, which was intended to strengthen bilateral relations, instead became a diplomatic debacle when it emerged that a convicted Sikh extremist had been invited to official events. India has long been critical of Canada’s handling of extremist groups, accusing it of providing a safe haven for individuals involved in terrorism and organised crime.
