Indian envoy Sanjay Kumar Verma, who was recalled after Canada labeled senior diplomats as “persons of interest” in the Hardeep Singh Nijjar murder probe, alleged that Khalistani extremists and terrorists are “deep assets” of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS). Verma stated that the Justin Trudeau government continually encourages Khalistani extremists. “This is my allegation; I also know that some of these Khalistani extremists and terrorists are deep assets of CSIS, though I’m not providing evidence,” he asserted.
The Trudeau government has claimed that Indian agents were involved in the murder of Khalistani separatist Nijjar, an allegation India described as absurd and motivated. India has urged the Canadian government to present concrete evidence supporting their claims. Recently, Canadian PM Trudeau stated that the government’s assertions were based on intelligence rather than hard evidence.
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Envoy Verma called on the Canadian regime to recognize India’s core concerns. “We only want the government of the day to sincerely understand my core concerns rather than align with those challenging Indian sovereignty,” he emphasized. He pointed out that Khalistani extremists are Canadian citizens who threaten another nation’s sovereignty.
“What happens in India will be determined by Indian citizens. These Khalistani extremists are Canadian citizens, and no country should permit its citizens to undermine the sovereignty of another nation,” he added. Verma rejected all allegations against him regarding Nijjar’s murder, labeling them as politically motivated and lacking evidence.
He denied claims of directing or coercing individuals to gather information on pro-Khalistani activists, including Nijjar. “As High Commissioner of India, I have never engaged in such actions,” he said.
Verma explained that monitoring pro-Khalistani elements in Canada is a matter of national interest, and his team collects information from open sources. “We read newspapers and their statements; since we understand Punjabi, we also analyze their social media posts,” Verma noted.
India and Canada’s relations have deteriorated following the Trudeau government’s communication that its diplomats were persons of interest in the Nijjar murder case. India dismissed the allegations, recalling its senior diplomats and expelling six senior Canadian diplomats.
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