Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said that there are credible allegations of Indian intelligence involvement in the killing of Indian-born Canadian citizen Hardeep Singh Nijja, a Khalistani independence activist. News from AFP.
In this situation, New Delhi is recalling the High Commissioner appointed in Ottawa. This has created a major tension in the fragile relationship between the two countries.
India's Ministry of External Affairs took this decision after Canada complained that some people there, including High Commissioner Sanjay Kumar Verma, were involved in Nijjar's murder. News NDTV.
In a statement on Monday (October 14), India's Ministry of External Affairs said, "We cannot trust the current Canadian government's commitment to ensure the safety of our diplomats."
"In such circumstances, the Government of India has decided to withdraw the High Commissioner and other diplomats and officials."
India's Ministry of External Affairs has said that the actions of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government in an environment of extremism and violence have put their (diplomats including High Commissioner Sanjay Kumar Verma) at risk. That's why we don't trust the Canadian government's commitment to ensure their safety. Therefore, the Indian government has decided to withdraw the high commissioner and other targeted diplomats and officials. '
Earlier, Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar (45) was shot dead in his car in front of a Sikh temple in Canada's British Columbia province on June 18. Two masked men shot him in a busy parking lot next to the temple, 30 kilometers from Vancouver.
Nijjar openly campaigned in favor of the movement to form an independent 'Khalistan' state of the Sikhs in the Punjab province of India.
The Sikhs started an armed struggle in the 1970s to form a separate state, resulting in thousands of deaths. Although the movement on Indian soil has subsided due to New Delhi's action, the Sikhs are campaigning for an independent state in countries like Canada and the United Kingdom. It has increased significantly especially in recent years.
India declared Nijjar a 'terrorist' for campaigning for an independent Sikh state. According to his followers, Nijjar received death threats for his activities before he was killed.
At that time, accusing the Indian government of the murder, Justin Trudeau said, "This accusation is being made on the basis of all the intelligence information of the Canadian government." The Indian Ministry of Foreign Affairs accused Canada on the contrary and said, "Canada has been harboring Khalistani terrorists and extremists who are a threat to India's national security for a long time. '
The incident of reciprocity stopped for a while, but recently a move by Canada has again created tension in the Delhi-Ottawa relationship.
On Sunday (October 13), Canada's diplomatic channel said that India's high commissioner and some of his fellow diplomats have been identified as 'persons of interest' (suspects or persons under surveillance) in Nijjar's murder.
This means the Canadian government may also question the High Commissioner in the investigation into the murder.
India's Ministry of External Affairs gave a strong response on Monday. It is said from their side that India is strictly rejecting such 'outrageous allegations'.
The Indian government said Canada's allegations were part of Trudeau's "political agenda". Delhi has also warned Ottawa against any action without specific information.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of External Affairs has also summoned Canada's Charge d'Affaires in New Delhi. Later in a meeting with Ministry of External Affairs officials in Delhi, he said Ottawa had provided evidence to India in support of its claim.
"Ottawa has provided Delhi with credible, irrefutable evidence of the involvement of an Indian government agent in the killing of a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil," said Canadian Charge d'Affaires Stuart Wheeler.