- Foreign Minister says Indian High Commissioner is among six diplomats expelled.
- He says he will not tolerate any diplomats who violate the Vienna Convention.
- “Some very serious red lines have been crossed,” McKay says.
Days after a group of Indian diplomats were expelled in connection with the assassination of a Khalistan leader on Canadian soil, Foreign Minister Melanie Jolie said New Delhi’s remaining envoys have been “notified.”
Earlier this week, Canada formally expelled Indian High Commissioner Sanjay Kumar Verma and five other diplomats, before the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) revealed new details about the Indian government’s connection to “violent criminal activity” in Canada, which mainly targets… Supporters of India. Separatists in Khalistan.
The Canadian sources said that shortly after Canadian officials informed India of the expulsion of the six diplomats, New Delhi summoned them.
In a press conference, Foreign Minister Jolie warned more than a dozen Indian diplomats, who remain in the country, to respect Canadian law.
The minister confirmed: “They are clearly aware of this. Six of them were expelled, including the High Commissioner in Ottawa. The others were mainly from Toronto and Vancouver.”
He added: “It is clear that we will not tolerate any diplomats who violate the Vienna Convention.”
Her comments came days after the head of the RCMP accused the Indian government, its agents and diplomats of being linked to widespread criminal activity in Canada, including “coercion, extortion and murder.” CBC News I mentioned.
Sources familiar with the matter said Canadian police and intelligence have concrete evidence that the six Indian diplomats, including the high commissioner, were involved in the plot to kill Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nigar in June 2023, a close ally of Sikhs for Justice. (SFJ) Founder and General Counsel Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, who survived several assassinations by Indian plots.
The RCMP also said it had evidence that Indian diplomats and consular officials in Canada were involved in covert activities, including intelligence gathering for its government.
On the other hand, New Delhi denied working with criminals in Canada to target Sikh separatists.
Contrary to the Indian claim, Jolie said: “There was definitely a threat, which is why the RCMP decided to take the extraordinary measure of publicizing the fact that Canadians were being intimidated, (were) victims of extortion or even (received) death.” “The threats are because agents and diplomats from India were connected to these criminal acts.”
Asked whether more Indian diplomats could be expelled from Canada, the minister said the government will not tolerate any diplomats who violate the Vienna Convention or endanger the lives of Canadians.
Cameron MacKay — the last Canadian high commissioner to India who left the country in August — said it was a “dismal failure on the part of the Indian government” to believe that Indian government agents could arrange violent crimes across Canada and the United States and escape. With her.
“Some very serious red lines have been crossed, which is why Canada has taken the strong diplomatic and law enforcement actions it has to date,” he added.
“The Indian government’s position so far is to deny and discredit Canada and to distract its domestic audience from the real facts of what is happening here. They are doing this by attacking Canada.”