In a dramatic escalation of diplomatic tensions, India has decided to withdraw its High Commissioner and other targeted diplomats and officials from Canada. The move comes as a direct response to allegations made by the Canadian government accusing Indian agents of involvement in the killing of Khalistani extremist Hardeep Singh Nijjar on Canadian soil.
The Ministry of External Affairs in India released a statement on Monday evening, denouncing the allegations as “baseless targeting” and expressing deep concern for the safety of its diplomats. The statement highlighted that in an atmosphere of extremism and violence, the Canadian government’s actions had endangered the lives of its officials. India declared it had “no faith” in the Canadian government’s commitment to ensuring their security, prompting the decision to recall the High Commissioner and other targeted officials.
The diplomatic row began with a 20-minute meeting between Canadian Charge d’Affaires Stewart Wheeler and Indian officials in Delhi. Wheeler asserted that Canada had provided “credible, irrefutable evidence” linking Indian government agents to Nijjar’s murder, which occurred on Canadian soil. He urged India to investigate these allegations, stating that it was in the best interest of both nations to get to the bottom of the matter. Canada also expressed its willingness to cooperate further in the investigation.
Earlier, the Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had publicly raised concerns about a “potential” involvement of Indian agents in Nijjar’s death, accusing them of being “persons of interest” in the ongoing investigation. This triggered a series of diplomatic exchanges between the two countries, leading to the current crisis.
The withdrawal of India’s High Commissioner marks a significant escalation in the diplomatic dispute and raises concerns about the future of bilateral relations between India and Canada. It remains to be seen how this situation will unfold and what steps both governments will take to resolve the issues.
