India-Canada Row Newest Improvement: India and Canada’s relations hit a brand new low on Monday after either side levelled critical allegations in opposition to one another. Canada has accused Indian Excessive Commissioner Sanjay Kumar Varma of interfering within the investigation associated to the homicide of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. After Canada’s allegations, whereas India introduced the withdrawal of a few of its diplomatic workers from Ottawa, it additionally expelled six Canadian officers from New Delhi. Alternatively, Canada’s Royal Canadian Mounted Police Commissioner, Mike Duheme held a press convention the place he accused Indian authorities brokers’ hand behind numerous prison activites. Mike Duheme claimed that the RCMP has proof however didn’t specify what it is.
India Expels Canadian Diplomats
In a retaliatory motion after Canadian authorities’s allegations, India has requested six Canadian diplomats to go away the nation inside 5 days. “The Authorities of India has determined to expel the next 6 Canadian Diplomats – Stewart Ross Wheeler, Performing Excessive Commissioner; Patrick Hebert, Deputy Excessive Commissioner; Marie Catherine Joly, First Secretary; lan Ross David Trites, First Secretary; Adam James Chuipka, First Secretary; Paula Orjuela, First Secretary. They’ve been requested to go away India by or earlier than 11:59 PM on Saturday, October 19, 2024,” mentioned the MEA.
The MEA’s transfer got here hours after it summoned Canadian Chargé d’Affaires Stewart Wheeler over the allegations made by the North American nation. Earlier this night, India introduced to withdraw Varma and different diplomatic officers from Canada citing safety risk to them. “It was underlined that in an environment of extremism and violence, the Trudeau Authorities’s actions endangered their security. We have now no religion within the present Canadian Authorities’s dedication to make sure their safety. Subsequently, the Authorities of India has determined to withdraw the Excessive Commissioner and different focused diplomats and officers,” mentioned the MEA in a press release.
RCMP Accuses GoI Of ‘Legal Exercise’
Royal Canadian Mounted Police Commissioner, Mike Duheme mentioned that over the previous few years and extra lately, regulation enforcement businesses in Canada have efficiently investigated and charged a major variety of people for his or her direct involvement in homicides, extortions & different prison acts of violence. “As well as, there have been properly over a dozen credible imminent threats to life which have led to the conduct of responsibility to warn, by regulation enforcement with members of South Asian neighborhood and particularly, members of the pro-Khalistan motion….The RCMP workforce has learnt a major quantity of knowledge on breadth & depth of prison exercise orchestrated by brokers of the Authorities of India, in consequential threats to the security and safety of Canadians & people residing in Canada,” mentioned Duheme.
Reitereing the allegations made by Canadian PM Justin Trudeau, the Police Commissioner mentioned, “Regardless of regulation enforcement’s motion, the hurt has continued, posing a critical risk to our public security. We reached some extent the place we felt that it was crucial to confront Govt of India and inform the general public about some very critical findings which were uncovered via our investigations.”
The RCMP Commissioner additionally mentioned that India didn’t reply to the regulation enforcement division’s assembly request with the Indian counterparts. “There’s a violent, extremist risk in Canada that Canada and India have been engaged on over time. Nevertheless, these threats are impacting Canada and India’s potential to collaborate. Earlier this week, RCMP Deputy Commissioner of Federal Policing made try to fulfill with the Indian law-enforcement counterparts to debate violent, extremist that occurred in Canada and India & current proof pertaining to brokers of the Govt of India’s involvement in critical prison exercise right here in Canada. Sadly, these makes an attempt have been unsuccessful,” he mentioned.
He additional mentioned that the RCMP Deputy Commissioner met with officers of the Govt of India, alongside the Nationwide Safety & Intelligence Advisor and Deputy Minister of International Affairs over the weekend to debate the difficulty.” By way of our Nationwide Activity Drive and different investigative efforts, the RCMP has obtained proof that demonstrates 4 very critical points – 1) violence, extremist affect in each international locations, 2) hyperlinks tying brokers of the Govt of India to homicides & violent acts, 3) the usage of organised crime to creat notion of unsafe surroundings focusing on the South Asian neighborhood in Canada, 4) interference in democratic processes,” he alleged.
