India has decided to expel six Canadian diplomats: MEA

India on Monday announced expelling six Canadian diplomats hours after recalling the Indian high commissioner and some other officials from CanadaThe Canadian diplomats have been asked to leave India by or before 1159 pm on October 19 the Ministry of External Affairs MEA saidThe 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 SecretaryThe other two diplomats are Adam James Chuipka First Secretary and Paula Orjuela First SecretaryIndia announced withdrawing its high commissioner and other targeted diplomats and officials from Canada after strongly dismissing Ottawas allegations linking the envoy to an investigation into the killing of Sikh extremist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in a major escalation of tensions amid the already frosty ties between the two nationsIndias decision came shortly after the Canadian Charge dAffaires Stewart Wheelers was summoned to the Ministry of External Affairs MEA and was told bluntly that the baseless targeting of Indian High Commissioner Sanjay Verma and other diplomats and officials was completely unacceptableNew Delhi described the charges against Verma as concocted and preposterous imputations and ascribes the allegations to the political agenda of the Trudeau government that is centred around vote bank politicsThe MEA said India 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 countryThe Canadian Charge dAffaires CDA was summoned by MEAs Secretary East Jaideep Mazumdar and it was underlined to him that in an atmosphere of extremism and violence the Trudeau governments actions endangered the safety of Indian diplomats and other officialsWe have no faith in the current Canadian governments commitment to ensure their security Therefore the government of India has decided to withdraw the high commissioner and other targeted diplomats and officials the MEA said in a statementIt was also conveyed that India reserves the right to take further steps in response to the Trudeau governments support for extremism violence and separatism against India it saidThe relations between India and Canada came under severe strain following Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus allegations in September last year of a potential involvement of Indian agents in the killing of NijjarHe was gunned down in Surrey British Columbia in June last year New Delhi had rejected Trudeaus charges as absurdEarlier in the day the MEA said India reserves the right to take further steps in response to these latest efforts of the Canadian government to concoct allegations against Indian diplomatsSince 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 it saidIn its statement the MEA also made a mention of what it called PM Trudeaus naked interference in Indian internal politics in December 2020 apparently recalling the Canadian leaders comments during the farmers agitationOn Canadas 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 gainsIt said Prime Minister Trudeaus 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 discomfortHis Cabinet has included individuals who have openly associated with an extremist and separatist agenda regarding India the MEA saidHis naked interference in Indian internal politics in December 2020 showed how far he was willing to go in this regard it saidThat his Government was dependent on a political party whose leader openly espouses a separatist ideology visavis India only aggravated matters it saidUnder 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 the MEA saidIt said this latest development targeting Indian diplomats is now the next step in that directionIt is no coincidence that it takes place as Prime Minister Trudeau is to depose before a commission on foreign interference it saidIt also serves the antiIndia separatist agenda that the Trudeau Government has constantly pandered to for narrow political gains it saidTo that end 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 the MEA saidAll these activities have been justified in the name of freedom of speech Some individuals who have entered Canada illegally have been fasttracked for citizenshipMultiple extradition requests from the Government of India in respect of terrorists and organized crime leaders living in Canada have been disregarded it addedThe MEA said High Commissioner Verma is Indias senior most serving diplomat with a distinguished career spanning 36 yearsHe has been Ambassador in Japan and Sudan while also serving in Italy Turkiye Vietnam and China The aspersions cast on him by the Government of Canada are ludicrous and deserve to be treated with contempt it saidThe government of India has taken cognizance of the activities of the Canadian High Commission in India that serve the political agenda of the current regime it saidLast week Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Trudeau had a brief exchange on the sidelines of the East Asia summit in LaosMeanwhile Canadian Charge dAffaires Wheeler told reporters after he was summoned by the MEA iquestThe Government of Canada has done what India has long been asking for Canada has provided credible irrefutable evidence of ties between agents of 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 those allegations It is in the interest of both our countriesThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever