India’s foreign ministry summoned the Canadian Charge d’Affaires on Monday, shortly after issuing a strong statement criticizing the Canadian government. During the meeting, Secretary (East) Jaideep Mazumdar informed him of India’s decision to withdraw its High Commissioner and other diplomats from Canada. The move follows what India described as “baseless targeting” of its diplomats, particularly the High Commissioner, which it deemed unacceptable.
India expressed concerns over the safety of its diplomats, citing a hostile atmosphere in Canada and accusing the Trudeau government of endangering their security. The Indian government stated that it no longer trusts the Canadian administration to protect its officials and has decided to recall its High Commissioner, Sanjay Kumar Verma, along with other targeted staff. India also reserved the right to take further action in response to Canada’s alleged support for extremism, violence, and separatism against India.
Tensions between the two countries have been high since September 2023, when Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau claimed to have credible evidence linking Indian agents to the assassination of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar. This week, Canada escalated matters by labeling Verma and other Indian diplomats as “persons of interest” in an investigation. India defended Verma, highlighting his 36-year diplomatic career, which includes serving as Ambassador to Japan and Sudan, among other nations.
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