Amid collapse of diplomatic ties with Canada in the new changing global political dynamics, the Indian ministry of external affairs (MEA) late Monday announced the expulsion of six top Canadian diplomats including Acting High Commissioner, Stewart Ross Wheeler and Deputy High Commissioner Patrick Hebert. The MEA has in a strongly worded communique, has ordered the Canadian diplomats to leave the country by or before 11:59 PM on Saturday, October 19, 2024.
The ‘rarest’ Indian action was followed by ‘diplomatic diatribe’ against Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau accusing him of consciously providing 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,” MEA said adding, “Prime Minister Trudeau’s hostility to India has long been in evidence.”
The announcement to expel the Canadian diplomats and withdraw Indian diplomats from Canada was made shortly after summoning Canadian Charge d’Affaires on Monday evening. The MEA note maintained that the Canadian diplomat was “informed that the baseless targeting of the Indian High Commissioner and other diplomats and officials in Canada was completely unacceptable.”
Reacting sharply on India’s move, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau early Tuesday said that India has made a ‘fundamental error’. “The government of India made a fundamental error in thinking that they could engage in supporting criminal activity against Canadians here on Canadian soil, whether it be murders or extortion or other violent acts,” Trudeau said while referring to allegations made by Canadian federal police against Indian intelligence.
Today, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau issued the following statement on the ongoing investigation on violent criminal activity linked to the Government of India: https://t.co/CoHWSBCeLu
— CanadianPM (@CanadianPM) October 15, 2024
The Indian government while strongly rejecting ‘preposterous imputations’ accused the Trudeau government of pushing a political agenda aimed at a certain vote bank. The MEA also accused the ruling dispensation in Canada of encouraging individuals who have openly associated themselves with those extremist and separatists working against 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,” MEA said.
The MEA action to withdraw its High Commissioner Sanjay Kumar Verma and six other diplomats in Canada comes after Ottawa named them as ‘persons of interest’ in investigations carried out in a pro-Khalistan separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar’s killings last year. Later in a tit-for-tat move, amid deepening rift, the Canada government also announced to expel six Indian diplomats.
Expelled Canadian diplomats
1. Stewart Ross Wheeler, Acting High Commissioner
2. Patrick Hebert, Deputy High Commissioner
3. Marie Catherine Joly, First Secretary
4. lan Ross David Trites, First Secretary
5. Adam James Chuipka, First Secretary
6. Paula Orjuela, First Secretary
These diplomats have been asked to leave India by October 19, 2024.
Earlier the Canadian Charge d’Affaires was summoned by Secretary (East) and was informed that the baseless targeting of the Indian High Commissioner and other diplomats and officials in Canada was completely unacceptable. The Indian government maintained that the naming of Indian diplomats was an act of creating an atmosphere of extremism and violence against Indian diplomats.
“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,” MEA said.
The Centre has also conveyed to Canadian authorities that India reserves the right to take further steps in response to the Trudeau Government’s support for extremism, violence and separatism against India.
India-Canada Ties: What lies ahead
The continuous diplomatic free-fall in the ties between India and Canada that sunk to rock bottom on Monday will be hard to mend soon. The current political scenario in Canada, where Justin Trudeau negotiates a tight rope walk as the rift among his own coalition government widens, his days at the helm might be numbered. Also with the general elections in Canada slated for next year any improvement in diplomatic ties before that is unlikely.
Meanwhile, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) early Tuesday claimed that they have gathered information that established linkages between the investigation and agents of the Government of India. The Canadian investigating agency said that to further investigate and allow the RCMP to interview relevant individuals, India was asked to waive diplomatic and consular immunities and to cooperate in the investigation. “Regrettably, as India did not agree and given the ongoing public safety concerns for Canadians, Canada served notices of expulsion to these individuals. Subsequent to those notices, India announced it would withdraw its officials.”
