Indiaambassador of Canada India’s Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement on Monday that other Indian diplomats were “persons of interest” in Canada’s “investigation-related matters,” citing a diplomatic cable from Ottawa.
New Delhi rejected the “absurd imputation” to Canada’s claim, saying it was part of the Canadian prime minister’s role. Justin Trudeau‘s ‘Political agenda’ centered on ‘vote bank politics’.
Relations between New Delhi and Ottawa cooled after Trudeau said in September 2023 that Canada had credible evidence linking Indian agents to the assassination of a Sikh separatist leader that year, sparking a strong response from New Delhi.
India has repeatedly said Canada has not shared any evidence to support its claims.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs said on Sunday it had received a diplomatic letter from Canada, but did not give details about the investigation in its statement.
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“This latest step follows an interaction that again saw claims made without facts. “This leaves no doubt that there is a deliberate strategy to defame India for political gain under the pretext of an investigation,” he said.
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“India now reserves the right to take further action in response to the Canadian government’s recent efforts to fabricate charges against Indian diplomats.”
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It also alleged that the Trudeau government “consciously provided space for violent extremists and terrorists to harass, intimidate and intimidate Indian diplomats and community leaders in Canada.”
Canada withdrew more than 40 diplomats from India in October 2023 after New Delhi asked Ottawa to reduce its diplomatic presence.
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Last June, a committee of Canadian parliamentarians, based on input from intelligence agencies, identified India and China as major foreign threats to democratic institutions.
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India’s envoy to Ottawa, Sanjay Kumar Verma, said the report was politically motivated and influenced by Sikh separatist activists.
“We hope that India can work with us to get to the bottom of this very serious issue,” Prime Minister Trudeau said earlier this year.
Shortly after Canada’s claims, the United States said it had accused Indian agents of involvement in the 2023 assassination attempt on another Sikh separatist leader in New York and had charged an Indian national with acting on the orders of an unnamed Indian government official.
However, unlike India’s angry response to Canada’s claims, India expressed concern after the United States raised the issue, moved away from the conspiracy, and launched an investigation.
Assassination plots against Sikh separatist leaders in Canada and the United States have tested relations with India. Western countries are hoping to build deeper ties with New Delhi to counter China’s growing global influence.
(Reporting by Krishn Kaushik and Sakshi Dayal; Editing by Sudipto Ganguly, Christian Schmollinger and Ed Osmond)
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