The ongoing tension between India and Canada escalated to new heights when the latter designated the Indian High Commissioner Sanjay Verma and other Indian Diplomats as “Persons of interest” in an ongoing investigation. This comes directly after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau raised an accusation against India, alleging that the country was involved in the killing of a Sikh separatist leader, Hardeep Singh Nijjar. The diplomatic fallout from the accusation led to the worsening of ties between Canada and India and strained the relations between these two nations, affecting international trade and defense collaborations.
India Responds to Canada’s Accusations
Soon after the news broke, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs confirmed that it had received official notification from the Canadian counterpart, regarding these new accusations against Sanjay Verma. However, the MEA maintains that no concrete evidence has been provided to support the claim. Thus, the Indian MEA officially rejected these allegations, and released a statement that reads as follows:
“The Government of India strongly rejects these preposterous imputations and ascribes them to the political agenda of the Trudeau Government, centered around vote-bank politics.”
This shows India’s clear stance, as it maintains that the Canadian Government is politically motivated, hoping to sway specific voter groups in Canada. The ministry also advised the Canadian government that such fruitless allegations would only serve to heighten tensions between the two nations.
Understanding The Tension
The crux of the ongoing diplomatic conflict lies in the historical tension over Sikh separatism, which flared up last year after the assassination of the Sikh separatist leader, Hardeep Singh Nijjar. This was soon followed by mutual expulsions of diplomats.
The relationship between these two countries has been tested over the years. The Canadian PM’s 2018 visit to India was also surrounded by criticism, as India accused Trudeau of harboring separatist sympathizers amidst his cabinet. Later, India also demanded Canada reduce its diplomatic presence in the country to achieve diplomatic parity. This resulted in Canada withdrawing 41 diplomats from India.
India Reserves the Right to “Further Steps”
India has also issued a firm warning, where the Indian MEA has stated that it reserves the right to take “further steps.” This is an attempt to prevent Canada from implicating Indian diplomats in what the MEA calls “an unfounded investigation.” The ministry also reminded Canada not to interfere in India’s internal affairs. It called the recent allegations a deliberate effort to harm India’s reputation on the global stage.
The MEA further went on to highlight Prime Minister Trudeau’s 2018 visit, which was marred by controversies. The government firmly believes that such engagement with separatist-linked individuals will only underscore Trudeau’s deliberate attempt for political gain.
India Questions Canada’s Investigative Objectives
Continuing from last year, India has once again expressed skepticism regarding the objectivity behind these new allegations. The MEA stated:
“This latest step follows interactions that have again witnessed assertions without any facts, leaving little doubt that this is a deliberate strategy to smear India for political gains.”
Broader Implications for Canada-India Relations
As per experts, the recent allegations will only serve to widen the rift that already exists between these two countries. This can have long-term implications that are in neither’s interest. As both nations are key players in international trade and forums, such disputes will cast a grave shadow over their ability to collaborate on mutually beneficial matters.
This can have an adverse impact on defense, technology, and other economic sectors. Furthermore, if not resolved, these tensions will only serve to destabilize the bilateral relations between the two nations and also hamper regional stability.
