India on Monday withdrew its High Commissioner to Canada, Sanjay Kumar Verma, along with other senior diplomats, as the diplomatic rift between the two nations escalated over the murder of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
In a swift and retaliatory move, New Delhi also expelled six Canadian diplomats, including Stewart Ross Wheeler, the Acting High Commissioner, marking a significant deterioration in relations between India and Canada.
The move came after Canada named India’s High Commissioner and several other diplomats as “persons of interest” in the investigation into Nijjar’s killing, accusing them of having potential involvement. In a strongly worded statement, India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) stressed that the hostile atmosphere in Canada, fostered by extremism and violence, posed a serious threat to the safety of Indian diplomats.
“We have lost all faith in the Canadian Government’s ability to protect our diplomatic personnel. The actions of the Trudeau administration have directly endangered their security,” the MEA said, announcing the withdrawal of diplomats.
Shortly after India’s announcement, reports surfaced that Canada had also expelled six Indian diplomats, including High Commissioner Sanjay Kumar Verma. The Canadian diplomats expelled by India include Acting High Commissioner Stewart Ross Wheeler, Deputy High Commissioner Patrick Hebert, and several other high-ranking officials. They have been given five days to leave India, with the deadline set for Saturday, October 19, at 11:59 p.m.
The MEA had earlier summoned Stewart Wheeler, the Canadian Charge d’Affaires in New Delhi, to express its strong disapproval. Wheeler was told that Canada’s “baseless and unacceptable” targeting of Indian diplomats would not be tolerated. India warned that it reserved the right to take further actions in response to what it described as Canada’s support for extremism and separatism on its soil.
After the meeting, Wheeler maintained that Canada’s allegations were based on “credible and irrefutable” evidence linking Indian government agents to Nijjar’s murder. He called on India to follow through on its promises to investigate the matter, adding, “Canada stands ready to cooperate with India to get to the bottom of this.”
India, however, fiercely denied any involvement, labeling the accusations as “preposterous and politically motivated.” The MEA criticized Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for indulging in “vote-bank politics” and failing to act against Khalistani separatists operating in Canada.
Tensions between the two countries have been simmering since Trudeau’s initial accusation in September last year, when he alleged that Indian government agents were involved in the assassination of Nijjar, a known Khalistani separatist, on Canadian soil. India has repeatedly rejected these claims as “absurd and baseless,” further deepening the diplomatic standoff.
As both nations dig in their heels, the diplomatic fallout shows no signs of easing, raising concerns over the future of India-Canada relations at a time when both countries face global scrutiny over extremism and security.
