The Indian Government has taken stern action as it asked Canada to
withdraw as many as 40 diplomats from the country by October 10, stated media
reports citing people familiar with the demand.
The Indian Government has not confirmed officially yet about the
latest development. Canada has 62 diplomats in Bharat and it had said the total
should be reduced by 41.
The diplomatic ties between New Delhi and Ottawa turned sour after
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau recently charged the Indian Government of
being behind the killing of separatist terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
Nijjar, a designated terrorist in Bharat, was shot dead outside at
a parking lot outside a Gurdwara in Canada’s Surrey, British Columbia, on June
18.
Trudeau, during a debate in the Canadian Parliament, alleged Canada’s
national security officials had reasons to believe that “agents of the Indian Government”
carried out the killing of Nijjar, who also served as the president of Surrey’s
Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara.
However, Bharat has out rightly rejected the claims, calling it “absurd”
and “motivated”.
The Indian Government has said Canada was yet to provide any public
evidence to support the claim about the killing of Nijjar.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar recently said the ongoing
problem with Canada has been there for some years because of the “permissiveness”
of the government regarding terrorism, extremism and violence in the country.
Jaishankar said the present situation can’t be termed a “deadlock”,
adding that the Indian Government is open to looking at any specific and
relevant thing shared by the Canadian side in connection with the issue.
On Monday, US stated the Joe Biden administration has engaged with
the Indian Government on a number of occasions urging them to cooperate with
Canada in its investigations into the death of Singh Nijjar.
The issue was raised by State secretary Antony Blinken during his
meeting with Jaishankar last week.
“As he made clear then, I’ll reiterate now, we remain in close
coordination with our Canadian colleagues on this question,” state department
spokesperson Mathew Miller told reporters at his daily news briefing.
“We have engaged with the Indian Government on a number of
occasions to urge them to cooperate with Canada’s investigation. The secretary
had an opportunity to do that in his meeting with the foreign minister on
Friday,” he said.
When asked if Bharat has agreed to cooperate with Canada, Miller
said this is for New Delhi to respond to.
“I will let the Indian government speak for themselves and I will
speak for the United States Government, and we urge that cooperation,” he said.
Agencies
