NEW DELHI: India’s outgoing High Commissioner to Canada, Sanjay Kumar Verma, who was recalled by New Delhi last week, has denied any involvement in the killing of pro-Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, adding that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has destroyed bilateral political relations between the two nations.
In an exclusive interview to CTV News, Verma explicitly condemned Nijjar’s killing, stating: “Any murder is wrong and bad.I do condemn it and that is what I have said in many interviews.”
When questioned if he had anything to do with Nijjar’s killing, the envoy said: “Nothing at all. No evidence was presented [by Canada]. (This is) politically motivated.”
In the interview with host Vassy Kapelos on CTV that aired on Sunday, Verma asserted that Trudeau’s decision to balme India for Nijjar’s killing was based on intelligence information rather than concrete evidence.
“On the basis of intelligence, if you want to destroy a relationship, be my guest. And that’s what he [Trudeau] did,” Verma added.
In response to a question from Kapelos regarding Canada’s allegations that diplomats and Indian government officials are allegedly involved in coercing cooperation and information from South East Asians living in Canada, Verma asserted that the process is entirely transparent.
“There is nothing covert. It’s all overt … we read the newspapers, we read their statements, since we understand Punjabi. So we read their social media posts, and try to infer from there,” said Verma.
The envoy also firmly denied any personal involvement in such activities, stating, “I, as High Commissioner of India, have never done anything of that kind.”
He further emphasised the importance of staying informed about the actions of pro-Khalistani groups in Canada, as it aligns with India’s national interests.
When Kapelos asked whether the Indian government has ever targeted specific individuals with the intent of causing their death, Verma responded: “Never”.
Verma’s remarks come on the heels of accusations made by the RCMP and the Canadian federal government, alleging that Indian diplomats and consular officials stationed in Canada have been engaging in covert activities connected to serious criminal offenses in the country, including homicides and extortions.
When questioned by Kapelos about whether India’s explanation leaves “Canadians with the impression that (the Indian) government does have something to hide,” Verma insisted “absolutely not”.
“In fact, we have been asking for (evidence) for the last one year, which the RCMP has also said … And then if you do not share with us the reason for your visit, how do we know?” said Verma.
India- Canada diplomatic row
The diplomatic row between India and Canada erupted when Trudeau accused India of orchestrating Nijjar’s killing in British Columbia in June last year.
India labelled the claims as “absurd” and part of a broader political move by Trudeau to appeal to the pro-Khalistani vote.
Canada is home to the world’s largest Sikh population outside of Punjab and demonstrations advocating for the creation of a separate Sikh homeland within India have caused tension between the two nations.
Tensions escalated when Canada identified India’s High Commissioner and other diplomats as “persons of interest” in the Nijjar investigation.
In response, India expelled six Canadian diplomats after summoning Charge d’Affaires Stewart Wheeler.
The Indian government condemned Canada’s “baseless targeting” as unacceptable and expressed concerns about the safety of its diplomats amid rising extremism.
India also announced the withdrawal of High Commissioner Sanjay Kumar Verma, asserting its right to take further action against what it perceives as Canadian support for extremism.
Baseless and politically motivated: MEA
Earlier, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) labeled the allegations as baseless and politically motivated, suggesting they stem from Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s domestic agenda. The MEA noted that Trudeau’s “hostility towards India” has been evident for some time.
“The government of India strongly rejects these preposterous imputations and ascribes them to the political agenda of the Trudeau government that is centred around vote bank politics,” the MEA said in a statement.
“Prime Minister Trudeau’s hostility to India has long been in evidence. In 2018, his visit to India, which was aimed at currying favour with a vote bank, rebounded to his discomfort. His Cabinet has included individuals who have openly associated with an extremist and separatist agenda regarding India. His naked interference in Indian internal politics in December 2020 showed how far he was willing to go in this regard. That his Government was dependent on a political party, whose leader openly espouses a separatist ideology vis-à-vis India, only aggravated matters,” it added.
The MEA referred to past events as a reminder of the strained ties between the two nations, worsened by what India sees as Trudeau’s repeated interference in its internal affairs.
Accused India based on intelligence: Trudeau
Trudeau, testifying before a foreign interference inquiry, has acknowledged that his government initially accused India based on intelligence, rather than concrete evidence, in connection with Nijjar’s assassination last year.
Trudeau said intelligence from Canada and its allies suggested Indian agents were involved, but admitted there was no hard proof at the time.
“We told India it is not hard evidence but just intelligence at that point,” he said, adding: “Behind the scenes (were trying) India to co-operate with us. Their ask was … give us the evidence you have on us. Our response was it is within your security agency. You should be looking into how much they know, you should be engaging. ‘No, no but show us the evidence’. At that point, it was primarily intelligence, not hard evidentiary proof. So we said let’s work together.”
India rejects Trudeau’s statements
India rejected Trudeau’s statements, with MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal saying, “What we have heard only confirms what we have been saying consistently all along — Canada has presented us no evidence whatsoever in support of the serious allegations it has levelled against India and Indian diplomats.” Jaiswal went on to say that the damage caused to India-Canada relations is entirely Trudeau’s responsibility.
“The responsibility for the damage that this cavalier behaviour has caused to India-Canada relations lies with Prime Minister Trudeau alone,” he said in his statement.