India Expels 6 Canadian Diplomats
NEW DELHI, Oct 14: After deciding to Withdraw its High Commissioner and a few other senior diplomats in its mission in Ottawa, India on Monday expelled six Canadian diplomats and asked them to leave India by or before October 19.
India had decided to withdraw some staff from Canada after the North American country linked the High Commissioner in Canada and other Indian diplomats to an investigation in connection with the murder of Khalistani extremist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
The external affairs ministry summoned the Canadian envoy on Monday, a day after it said it received diplomatic communication from Canada which said the Indian High Commissioner and other diplomats are ‘persons of interest’ in a matter related to the investigation in that country.
The Canadian chargé d’affaires to India is Stewart Wheeler appeared in place of Cameron MacKay, the High Commissioner for Canada in India, as the latter is not present in the country. Wheeler is among the diplomats who have been asked to leave.
Patrick Hebert (deputy high commissioner), Marie Catherine Joly (first secretary), lan Ross David Trites (first secretary), Adam James Chuipka (first secretary) and Paula Orjuela (first secretary) were the other diplomats who have been expelled.
The withdrawal of the High Commissioner and other diplomats by India indicates a significant downgrading of ties with Canada.
The Canadian officials were informed clearly that their behaviour and conduct were not conducive to diplomatic solutions. They also claimed that Canada is ‘applying unnecessary pressure on behalf of terrorists’ without providing evidence.
Canadian news media outlets reported that Canada has sent notices asking six diplomats to leave the country. They also said a notice was also sent to Indian envoy to Canada Sanjay Kumar Verma.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) held a press conference where they claimed that Indian diplomats were asked to leave. “There are links tying Indian agents to homicides in India. Indian diplomats in Canada use their positions to conduct clandestine activities and collect information for India,” they said in a press conference.
They said that ‘evidence was presented’ to India and added that the RCMP will ‘not tolerate any harassment or violence to Canadian citizens.’ “The South Asian-Canadian community is the target,” RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme claimed. The RCMP did not provide details or specify any cases where Indian diplomats were involved.
(Manas Dasgupta)
