In a growing diplomatic crisis between India and Canada, Sanjay Verma, India’s High Commissioner to Canada, firmly denied any involvement in the murder of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. His remarks come in response to accusations made by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, which Verma claims have damaged bilateral relations. The Indian government has recalled Verma and other diplomats after they were designated as “persons of interest” in the ongoing investigation into Nijjar’s death.
Allegations of Political Motivation
During an interview on CTV’s Question Period, Verma responded to Trudeau’s claims and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) assertions that Indian officials had a hand in Nijjar’s murder. “Nothing at all,” Verma stated emphatically when asked about his potential involvement in the shooting. Nijjar was killed outside a cultural center in Surrey, British Columbia, on June 18, 2023. Verma described the allegations as “politically motivated” and lacking substantial evidence.
He criticized Trudeau for relying on intelligence reports rather than hard evidence, saying, “On the basis of intelligence, if you want to destroy a relationship, be my guest. And that’s what he did.” Verma further remarked, “Evidence should have been shared first, but someone (Trudeau) decided to stand in Parliament and talk about a thing for which he himself has said there was no hard evidence. And the day on which he did that, since then, he has made sure that the bilateral relations with India only go downwards, spiraling down.”
The India-Canada Diplomatic Row
The tension escalated last week when Trudeau and the RCMP made public allegations that Indian diplomats were targeting Sikh separatists residing in Canada. They accused senior Indian officials of sharing information about these activists with criminal organizations in India, specifically mentioning the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, which has been linked to various violent activities, including drive-by shootings and extortion.
India’s government has described these allegations as “preposterous” and “absurd.” The Ministry of External Affairs issued a statement asserting that Trudeau’s claims were politically motivated, aimed at garnering support in the lead-up to the Canadian elections.
The ongoing friction has highlighted India’s concerns about what it perceives as Canada’s leniency towards supporters of the Khalistan movement—a separatist campaign advocating for a separate Sikh state, which is banned in India but finds backing among some members of the Sikh diaspora, particularly in Canada.
Verma’s Rebuttal and Condemnation of Violence
In the interview, Verma reiterated that the Indian government is not engaged in targeting Sikh separatists in Canada. “I, as High Commissioner of India, have never done anything of that kind,” he asserted. He also condemned Nijjar’s murder, emphasizing that “any murder is wrong and bad. I do condemn.”
Relations between India and Canada have deteriorated significantly since Trudeau publicly stated last year that he had evidence linking Indian agents to the assassination of Nijjar. India has consistently refuted these claims, labeling them as baseless, and has expressed frustration over Canada’s failure to provide concrete evidence to support its allegations.
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