India Slams Trudeau for Accusing Diplomats of “Acts of Violence”

The Indian government slammed Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for accusing Indian diplomats of being involved in murder, harassment, and other “acts of violence” against Sikh separatists in the country.

India’s Ministry of External Affairs has called Trudeau’s accusations “preposterous” and said it was withdrawing its diplomats from Canada.

“There is a deliberate strategy by Justin Trudeau of smearing India for political gains,” the statement added Monday. “The aspersions cast on (High Commissioner Sanjay Kumar Verma) are ludicrous and deserve to be treated with contempt,” the Ministry of External Affairs said.

India’s condemnation follows Prime Minister Justin Trudeau ordering the expulsion of six Indian diplomats from Canada.

Trudeau stated that the RCMP and national security officials have made numerous endeavors to collaborate with the Government of India and Indian law enforcement counterparts on this issue; however, they have been consistently unsuccessful.

In an unprecedented move, Canadian officials convened a press conference where the RCMP publicly disclosed the specifics of numerous investigations into the alleged involvement of Indian government agents in “serious criminal activity” in Canada.

RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme informed reporters that the decision to publicly disclose the investigations was made “due to the significant threat to public safety” and after attempts to resolve the issue in collaboration with the Indian government had not yielded satisfactory results. Additionally, the RCMP had identified organized crime that targeted Canada’s South Asian community and interference in democratic processes.

Clandestine Activities by Indian Diplomats

He stated that investigations have revealed that Indian diplomats and consular officials stationed in Canada utilized their official positions to engage in clandestine activities, including the collection of information for the Indian government, either directly or through their proxies, and other individuals who acted voluntarily or through coercion.

“The information that is collected for India was subsequently utilized to target members of the South Asian community in Canada.

Global Affairs Canada announced that six Indian diplomats and consular officials had received a notice of expulsion from Canada in response to a targeted campaign against Canadian citizens by agents affiliated with the Government of India, immediately following the RCMP statement.

India responded by ordering the expulsion of six high-ranking Canadian diplomats, including the acting high commissioner, and informed Canada that it was withdrawing its diplomats from the country, which contradicted Canada’s statement of expulsion.

“We have no confidence in the current Canadian government’s dedication to the security of our diplomats.” Consequently, the Indian government has resolved to evacuate the High Commissioner and other diplomats and officials who are specific targets, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) of India issued a statement.

The MEA reiterated India’s previous stance on the matter, stating that “the Canadian Government has not shared a shred of evidence with the Government of India, despite many requests from our side,” since Prime Minister Trudeau’s allegations in September 2023.

Trudeau Accused of Pandering for Political Gain

The MEA statement continued by asserting that Canada’s most recent action “follows interactions that have again witnessed assertions without any facts.” It further stated that “this leaves little doubt that on the pretext of an investigation, there is a deliberate strategy of Justin Trudeau smearing India for his own political gain.”

Accusing Trudeau of pursuing a “political agenda” and pandering to the 700,000-strong Sikh community, which possesses significant political influence in Canada.

This escalation of tensions occurred shortly after Prime Minister Trudeau asserted that he had conversed with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the margins of the ASEAN Summit in Laos.  A subsequent clarification by India’s Ministry of External Affairs indicated that no “substantive discussion” had occurred between the two leaders.

Ajay Srivastava, the founder of the Global commerce Research Initiative (GTRI), stated on Monday that the bilateral commerce in goods between India and Canada has not been affected by the diplomatic tensions between the two countries.

The bilateral merchandise commerce between India and Canada experienced a slight increase from $8.3 billion in 2022-23 to $8.4 billion in 2023-24. India’s imports from Canada increased to $4.6 billion, while exports experienced a marginal decline, declining to $3.8 billion.

“These figures indicate that, at least for the time being, economic relations are unaffected by the diplomatic storm that is developing in the background,” he stated.

At present, the resilience of trade between India and Canada underscores a critical lesson: diplomatic tensions, despite their detrimental effects, do not necessarily result in the destruction of economic relationships.

However, as this dispute continues, it will be imperative for both nations to exercise caution in order to prevent a full-scale economic repercussion.

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