NEW DELHI: Describing the charges against him as “politically motivated”, outgoing Indian high commissioner to Canada Sanjay Verma accused Canadian PM Justin Trudeau of destroying the India-Canada political relations.
He said Canada was acting on the basis of intel, not evidence, adding Ottawa was only encouraging Khalistan extremists, who were working for Canadian intelligence authorities.Canada last week claimed to have expelled Verma for alleged role in criminal activities.
Trudeau himself admitted there’s no evidence: Ex-envoy
While Canada last week claimed to have expelled Sanjay Verma and five other Indian diplomats for alleged role in criminal activities, India had said it had recalled Verma and others. In a retaliatory action, India had expelled six Canadian diplomats too. “He (Justin Trudeau) himself admitted there was no evidence. On the basis of intelligence, if you want to destroy a relationship, be my guest. And that’s what he did,” Verma told Canada’s CTV in an interview Sunday, before his departure to India. Asked about extra-judicial killings, Verma said India has never done it but some G7 countries have and there shouldn’t be “double standards” about it. On whether he had had anything to do with Nijjar’s murder, Verma said, “Nothing at all. No evidence was presented. It’s politically motivated.”
Verma said Canada didn’t follow the usual practice of sharing evidence first. “Evidence should have been shared first, but someone (Trudeau) decided to stand in Parliament and talk about a thing for which he himself has said there was no hard evidence,” he said, adding Canada hadn’t done anything to address India’s requests for extradition of 26 individuals involved in terror activities.
“The day he did that, since then, he has made sure that bilateral relations with India only go downwards, spiralling down,” he added. According to Verma, the evidence that Canada claims to have is based on hearsay. “I know, for sure, that they go from one person to the other, asking them about the hearsay. Most of them are those who are pro-Khalistan elements, anti-India elements,” he said.
Canadian authorities wanted to interrogate Verma and had asked India to consider waiving his diplomatic immunity. “If I am going to be interrogated, I need to see the evidence and know what am I being interrogated for,” said Verma. Asked why Canadian law authorities were not allowed to meet their counterparts and show the evidence they had, he clarified they didn’t follow the “proper procedure” and were late in applying for visas. “They wanted to leave for India on the eighth of October, they gave their completed application form only on the same day,” he said, adding the officials also didn’t mention the agenda for their visit.
When asked if Indian govt has ever been involved in the targeting of certain individuals, with an end goal of their death, Verma said. “Never.” He accused the Canadian foreign minister Melanie Joly of speaking “politically” and said she had “nothing in her hand”. Verma, according to CTV, also explicitly said he condemns Nijjar’s murder. “Any murder is wrong and bad. I do condemn. Let’s get to the bottom of the issue,” he said, strongly denying allegations that he and other Indian diplomats were collecting information that was used to target Canadian nationals.
“I, as High Commissioner of India, have never done anything of that kind. That is one,” Verma said. “Second, my colleagues, do we want to know what pro-Khalistani elements in Canada are doing? Yes, we do. That’s my national interest.” On extra-judicial murders, Verma said India will never do it as the largest democracy, but accused some G7 nations of doing it, without naming them.