India summons the Canadian High CommissionerNew Delhi, September 19, 2023 (The Tribune): A new chill entered India’s already-frosty ties with Ottawa after the Foreign Office here summoned the Canadian High Commissioner on Tuesday and expelled a senior diplomat in retaliation after Canada asked an Indian diplomat to leave the country and its Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged that the Indian Government may have had links to the killing of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey in June.
The Canadian diplomat has been identified as Olivier Sylvester, reported to be station head of Canadian intelligence. He has been told to leave in five days.
Following Trudeau’s address to Parliament where he made the allegation, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) vigorously rejected Trudeau’s statement and revealed that the Canadian PM had made similar allegations during his brief “pull-aside” meeting with PM Narendra Modi on the margins of the G20 on September 10 and (the allegations) “were completely rejected”.
The MEA termed Trudeau’s remarks and the statement by his Foreign Minister Melanie Jolie while expelling an Indian diplomat as “absurd and motivated”.
In fact, sources said, Indian diplomats in Canada have received threats to life and two of them were posted out from the country after separatists splashed their photos and names on posters while threatening retaliation. Videos have also emerged of Nijjer’s ideological mentor and another designated terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannu threatening PM Modi, NSA Ajit Doval and Union Home Minister Amit Shah while being given protective cover by the Canadian security.
They also recalled a series of demarches served on Canada, including one four years back, after Trudeau’s comments on the farmers’ stir encouraged gatherings of Khalistani separatists in front of the Indian High Commission and Consulates in Canada that raised issues of safety and security. Last month, Canada had pushed back at suggestions from India to send a team of National Investigation Agency to probe the threats to safety to Indian diplomats and the diplomatic missions.
Nijjar, who allegedly made an undocumented entry into Canada, was shot dead outside a Sikh temple in Surrey, British Columbia, on June 18. The Indian government had already declared him a terrorist.
This has the potential to have more expansive effects, including reputational – and the latter impact will not be the same outside and inside India.
Sources said Trudeau made up his mind to go ballistic against India during the time he was held up in India after his special aircraft developed a mechanical fault. As part of that plan he despatched his NSA Jody Thomas to London to brief her British counterpart while he personally set up calls to acquaint the leaders of the US and Australia about the development.(The Tribune)
