India expels 6 Canadian diplomats, including acting high commissioner; orders departure by October 19

In a significant escalation of diplomatic tensions, the Government of India on Monday announced the expulsion of six senior Canadian diplomats, giving them until Saturday, October 19, 2024, at 11:59 PM to leave the country. The expulsion follows Ottawa's allegations linking the the Indian high commissioner to an investigation into the killing of Sikh extremist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

Also read: THREAT ALERT! Pro-Khalistan group SFJ releases video of bullets fired at Indian envoy to Canada's photo| WATCH

The 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 Secretary. The other two diplomats are Adam James Chuipka, First Secretary, and Paula Orjuela, First Secretary.

The decision comes after Indian High Commissioner Sanjay Verma and other Indian diplomats were labeled "persons of interest" by the Canadian government in connection with the Nijjar case.

Earlier today, India also announced it would withdraw its own High Commissioner Sanjay Verma and other "targeted diplomats and officials" from Canada. India made the decision shortly after summoning Canadian Chargé d'Affaires Stewart Wheeler to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), where he was directly informed that the baseless "targeting" of Indian High Commissioner Sanjay Verma and other diplomats and officials was "entirely unacceptable."

New Delhi dismissed the charges against Sanjay Verma as "fabricated" and "absurd accusations," attributing the allegations to the "political agenda of the Trudeau government, driven by vote bank politics."

In its statement, the 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 country".

Canadian Chargé d'Affaires (CDA) Stewart Wheeler was summoned by MEA Secretary (East) Jaideep Mazumdar, who emphasized that the Trudeau government's actions in an environment of extremism and violence had "endangered" the safety of Indian diplomats and officials.

"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," the MEA said in a statement.

"It was also conveyed that India reserves the right to take further steps in response to the Trudeau government's support for extremism, violence and separatism against India," it said.

The Washington Post, citing unnamed Canadian officials, reported that Canada has ordered six Indian diplomats to leave the country, including High Commissioner Sanjay Verma and the top consular official in Toronto. It is expected that Verma and the other officials will return from Canada in the coming days.

Relations between India and Canada have deteriorated significantly since Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's allegations last September regarding the "potential" involvement of Indian agents in the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was shot dead in Surrey, British Columbia, in June of last year. New Delhi has dismissed Trudeau's claims as "absurd."

Canadian Chargé d'Affaires Wheeler stated to reporters that his government has taken action in line with what India has long requested.

"Canada has provided credible and irrefutable evidence of ties between agents of the Government of India and murderer 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," he said.

"It is in the interest of both our countries and peoples of our countries to get to the bottom of this. Canada stands ready to cooperate with India," he added.

Earlier in the day, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) stated that India reserves the right to take further action in response to the "latest attempts by the Canadian government to fabricate allegations against Indian diplomats."

"Since 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 said.

The MEA also referred to what it described as Prime Minister Trudeau's "blatant interference" in India's internal politics in December 2020, apparently recalling the Canadian leader's remarks during the farmers' protests.

Regarding Canada's recent charges, the MEA asserted that there is "little doubt" that, under the guise of an investigation, there is a deliberate strategy to tarnish India's image for political gain. It noted that Prime Minister Trudeau's hostility towards India has been evident for some time. The MEA pointed to Trudeau's 2018 visit to India, which was intended to appeal to a vote bank but ultimately resulted in embarrassment for him.

"His Cabinet has included individuals who have openly associated with an extremist and separatist agenda regarding India," the MEA said.

"His naked interference in Indian internal politics in December 2020 showed how far he was willing to go in this regard," it said.

"That his Government was dependent on a political party, whose leader openly espouses a separatist ideology vis-a-vis India, only aggravated matters," it said.

"Under 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 said.

Also read: India withdraws High Commissioner, diplomats from Canada amid escalating row

It stated that this latest development targeting Indian diplomats represents the next phase in that effort.

"It is no coincidence that it takes place as Prime Minister Trudeau is to depose before a commission on foreign interference," it said.

"It also serves the anti-India separatist agenda that the Trudeau Government has constantly pandered to for narrow political gains," it said.

"To 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 said.

"All these activities have been justified in the name of freedom of speech. Some individuals who have entered Canada illegally have been fast-tracked for citizenship. Multiple extradition requests from the Government of India in respect of terrorists and organized crime leaders living in Canada have been disregarded," it added.

The MEA stated that High Commissioner Verma is India's most senior serving diplomat, with a distinguished career that spans 36 years.

"He 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 said.

"The 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 said.

Last week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Prime Minister Trudeau engaged in a "brief exchange" during the East Asia Summit in Laos.