The government led by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has "absolutely unacceptable" and "preposterous imputations." Labelling them as "preposterous imputations," India Monday slammed the Canadian government, reiterating once again that it has "consciously provided" space to violent extremists and terrorists to harass, threaten and intimidate Indian diplomats and community leaders in Canada.
"We have received a diplomatic communication from Canada yesterday suggesting that the Indian High Commissioner and other diplomats are 'persons of interest' in a matter related to an investigation in that country. The Government of India strongly rejects these preposterous imputations and ascribes them to the political agenda of the Trudeau Government that is centered around vote bank politics," read a strongly-worded statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Monday afternoon.
"Since some statements were made by Prime Minister Trudeau in September 2023, the Canadian Government hasn't shared an iota of evidence with the Government of India, despite many requests on our part. This latest step follows interactions that have again witnessed assertions without any facts. This leaves little doubt that on the pretext of an investigation, there is a deliberate strategy of smearing India for political gains, it added.".
In fact, with Hindu temples in Canada continuously vandalized with hate graffiti by Khalistani goons in Canada and Hindu-Canadians also repeatedly targeted, India has time and again made it clear that any further deterioration in bilateral ties would eventually result in a big loss for Canada.
The MEA on Monday also detailed Canadian PM Trudeau's "hostility to India" which it said has long been in evidence.
"In 2018, his visit to India, which was hoped to curry favour with a vote bank, rebounded to his discomfort. His Cabinet has included people who have openly associated with an extremist and separatist agenda regarding India. His naked interference in Indian internal politics in December 2020 showed how far he was willing to go in this regard. That his Government was dependent on a political party, whose leader openly espouses a separatist ideology vis-a-vis India, only aggravated matters.".
"Under criticism for turning a blind eye to foreign interference in Canadian politics, his Government has deliberately brought in India in an attempt to mitigate the damage. This latest development targeting Indian diplomats is now the next step in that direction. It is no coincidence that it takes place as Prime Minister Trudeau is to depose before a Commission on foreign interference. It also serves the anti-India separatist agenda that the Trudeau Government has constantly pandered to for narrow political gains," it said.
New Delhi said that the Trudeau Government has "consciously" given space to violent extremists and terrorists to harass, threaten and intimidate Indian diplomats and community leaders in Canada. This has included death threats to them and to Indian leaders.
"All these activities have been justified in the name of freedom of speech. Some individuals who have entered Canada illegally have been fast-tracked for citizenship. Multiple extradition requests from the Government of India in respect of terrorists and organized crime leaders living in Canada have been disregarded," the MEA statement mentioned.
It added, High Commissioner Sanjay Kumar Verma is India's senior-most serving diplomat with a distinguished career spanning 36 years. Having been an Ambassador in Japan and Sudan, while also serving in Italy, Turkey, Vietnam and China, it slammed Ottawa for casting aspersions on him, terming them as "ludicrous" and deserving to be treated with contempt.
It also said that the Indian government has taken cognisance of the activities of the Canadian High Commission in India that serve the political agenda of the current regime.
"This led to the application of the principle of reciprocity with regard to representation. India now reserves its right to take further steps in response to these latest attempts by the Canadian Government to concoct allegations against Indian diplomats," the MEA stated.
Last week, the Trudeau had claimed to have had a "brief exchange" with PM Modi in Laos on the sidelines of the ASEAN Summit.
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