Outgoing Indian High Commissioner to Canada, Sanjay Kumar Verma, has alleged that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had wrecked the bilateral political relations between the two countries. Verma also denied any involvement in the killing of pro-Khalistani terrorist Hardeed Singh Nijjar in Canada.
New Delhi had recalled Verma last week after the Trudeau government sought to link the high commissioner to a probe into the killing of Nijjar. As diplomatic tension mounted, India and Canada expelled six top diplomats in tit-for-tat moves.
In an interview to CTV, Verma condemned Nijjar’s killing, but said the allegations against him is politically motivated.
"On the basis of intelligence, if you want to destroy a relationship, be my guest. And that's what he [Trudeau] did," he said.
The relations between India and Canada came under severe strain following Trudeau's allegations in September last year of a "potential" involvement of Indian agents in the killing of Nijjar. The militant leader was gunned down in Surrey, British Columbia, in June last year.
Earlier this week, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said India received a "diplomatic communication from Canada yesterday suggesting that the Indian High Commissioner and other diplomats are 'persons of interest' in a matter related to an investigation in that country".
This escalated the diplomatic tensions resulting the expulsion of top officials by both countries.
India reiterated that Canada has still not given any credible evidence to prove the involvement of Indian “agents” in Nijjar’s killing.
"Since Prime Minister Trudeau made certain allegations in September 2023, the Canadian government has not shared a shred of evidence with the Government of India, despite many requests from our side," the MEA said.
