India to withdraw envoy from Canada

New Delhi : India on Monday decided to withdraw its high commissioner and other "targeted" diplomats and officials from Canada in response to Ottawa's attempt to link them to a probe into the killing of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced the decision shortly after summoning the Canadian charge d'affaires.

"The Canadian Charge d'Affaires was summoned by the Secretary (East) . He was informed that the baseless targeting of the Indian High Commissioner and other diplomats and officials in Canada was completely unacceptable," the MEA said.

"It was underlined that in an atmosphere of extremism and violence, the Trudeau government's actions endangered their safety. We have no faith in the current Canadian government's commitment to ensure their security," it said in a statement.

"Therefore, the Government of India has decided to withdraw the High Commissioner and other targeted diplomats and officials," the MEA said. "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 Foreign Ministry 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".

It said that the aspersions cast on High Commissioner Sanjay Kumar Verma by Canada were "ludicrous".

"High Commissioner Sanjay Kumar Verma is India's senior-most serving diplomat with a distinguished career spanning 36 years. He has been an 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," the Foreign Ministry said.

It hit out at the "preposterous" allegations, terming them a "strategy of smearing India for political gains".

The government also informed the senior diplomat of Canada this evening that the "baseless targeting of the Indian High Commissioner and other diplomats and officials in Canada was completely unacceptable".