Indian envoy Sanjay Kumar Verma, who was recalled from Canada by the Indian government over safety concerns, stated that Canada failed to provide any evidence to support its allegations against India. He described the accusations as politically motivated and part of an ill-conceived attempt to target India.
In an exclusive interview, Verma emphasized that India, as a “responsible democracy,” neither interferes in the internal affairs of other nations nor adopts policies to harm other countries.
“If you look at the entire episode, no shred of evidence has been shared with us. It seems largely politically motivated and an ill-conceived targeting of India. We are a responsible democracy and do not interfere in any country’s internal matters,” Verma said.
Verma also highlighted the political influence of Khalistani extremists in Canada, stating that these individuals, though Canadian citizens, are harming bilateral relations.
“These extremists and terrorists are not pro-India or pro-Canada. They are using their political influence in Canada to push their agenda, which ultimately damages relations between the two nations,” he added.
Verma expressed frustration over the allegations made against him, saying, “It was painful to face such baseless accusations. I went to Canada to strengthen ties, but instead, I was targeted. I don’t care about my personal reputation, but slandering my country is unacceptable.”
India has vehemently denied Canada’s allegations linking it to the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, calling them “absurd” and “motivated.” In a strong response earlier this month, India dismissed a diplomatic communication from Canada suggesting that Indian diplomats were “persons of interest” in the case.
Following the escalation, India expelled six Canadian diplomats and summoned Canada’s Chargé d’Affaires Stewart Wheeler, calling the targeting of Indian diplomats unacceptable. India also expressed concerns over the Trudeau government’s failure to ensure the safety of its diplomats.
“We have no faith in the current Canadian government’s ability to guarantee security. Therefore, we have decided to recall the High Commissioner and other officials,” the Ministry of External Affairs said.
Relations between India and Canada have deteriorated since Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, speaking in Parliament last year, claimed he had “credible allegations” implicating India in Nijjar’s killing. Nijjar, designated a terrorist by India in 2020, was shot dead outside a Gurdwara in Surrey, Canada, in June 2023.
While India has denied involvement, Trudeau recently admitted that Canada did not provide hard evidence to India. He clarified that the intelligence shared with India was not conclusive and expressed frustration over India’s demand for concrete proof.
“India kept asking for evidence. Our response was that it is within your security agency to investigate. But India insisted, saying, ‘Show us the evidence.’ At that point, we only had intelligence, not solid proof,” Trudeau said during a testimony at Canada’s foreign interference inquiry.
(Inputs from ANI)