In a decisive action, the Government of India on Monday, October 14, expelled six Canadian diplomats just hours after recalling its High Commissioner and several other officials from Canada. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) issued a statement mandating the diplomats to depart India by 11:59 PM on October 19. This move follows Canada’s attempt to implicate Indian officials in an investigation surrounding the death of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
India has ordered the expulsion of six Canadian diplomats: Stewart Ross Wheeler, Acting High Commissioner; Patrick Hebert, Deputy High Commissioner; Marie Catherine Joly, First Secretary; Ian Ross David Trites, First Secretary; Adam James Chuipka, First Secretary; and Paula Orjuela, First Secretary.
Earlier in the day, India summoned Canadian Deputy High Commissioner Stewart Wheeler after sharply criticizing the Trudeau administration for its “preposterous” claims involving Indian envoy Sanjay Kumar Verma. The Indian government reported receiving diplomatic communication from Canada indicating that Verma, along with other diplomats, was being considered a “person of interest” in an investigation tied to Nijjar’s death.
During a meeting with Canada’s Charge d’Affaires, Secretary (East) of the MEA communicated that the unfounded targeting of Indian diplomats was entirely unacceptable. In a strongly worded statement, India condemned Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s antagonistic stance towards the country, accusing his government of deliberately allowing violent extremists and terrorists to threaten Indian diplomats and community leaders residing in Canada.
India firmly rejected the diplomatic communication, dismissing the accusations as ludicrous and politically driven by the Trudeau administration’s vote-bank agenda. The statement reiterated that India had no involvement in Nijjar’s death and expressed deep concern over Canada’s continued accommodation of anti-India elements within its borders.
India-Canada relations have been strained since Trudeau’s allegation in the Canadian Parliament last year, where he claimed to possess “credible evidence” linking India to Nijjar’s assassination. India has consistently denied these allegations, labeling them as baseless and politically motivated. Nijjar, who was designated a terrorist by India’s National Investigation Agency in 2020, was fatally shot outside a Gurdwara in Surrey in June of last year.
