The Indian High Commissioner to Canada, who was targeted by Justin Trudeau and has since been recalled by New Delhi, today reiterated that Canadian authorities “did not share even a single piece of evidence” with him and that he and five other diplomats have been booked under a FIR. Labeled as a ‘person’. ‘In the investigation of the murder of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
Speaking exclusively to NDTV in his first interview after returning to India, Mr Verma said it was actually India that had shared detailed evidence of radical and extremist groups operating on Canadian soil with the Justin Trudeau government, but “No action was taken on this” either by the government or the authorities.
“Apart from the evidence shared with Canada, New Delhi also repeatedly sent extradition requests for 26 radical elements and gangsters through its High Commission, but nothing was done about it,” he said. He said this is a complete “double standard”. By Canada, that “one law applies to you and another law applies to me” no longer works in the world. In the past countries in the Global South used to do as developed countries told them, but they Those days are gone,” he said.
out of the blue
He revealed that at his last meeting with Canadian authorities, it was a surprise to him when officials informed him that he and five other colleagues were now marked as “persons of interest” in the murder investigation. And they “should ask” the Indian government to remove their diplomatic immunity.
“Throughout my tenure (as High Commissioner to Canada), my relations with all ministries and interlocutors were very cordial, but on October 12, suddenly, in a meeting with the Canadian Foreign Ministry, I was informed that one of us Six were being linked to a murder investigation and they would have to waive our diplomatic immunity to interrogate us.”
“Now this is going too far,” he told NDTV. He also said that he informed New Delhi about this, which decided to recall him and other diplomats.
‘Declared Persona Non Grata’
“When the Indian government took us back, they (Canadian government) decided to label us as ‘persona non grata’ and send us packing within a certain timeframe.”
This is the first time in India’s diplomatic history that an official or representative of a foreign ministry has been labeled persona non grata, which means a person who is no longer welcome, and in diplomacy, if the person concerned is not welcomed at home Not recalled by country. Upon request, the host State may refuse to recognize the person concerned as a member of a diplomatic mission – meaning that their immunity ends.
Canada is considered a friendly country of India, but “even in the case of Pakistan, where we have had differences for decades, the last High Commissioner recalled by New Delhi was my predecessor in Canada, Mr. Ajay Bisaria, He remained a High Commissioner and was recalled and he continued to be High Commissioner to Pakistan even though he had ceased to reside in Pakistan.”
‘Trudeau’s claims will not hold up in court’
“Not a single evidence has been shared with us (India). If they are calling intelligence or source-based claims as ‘evidence’, it will not hold up in a court of law – neither in their country, nor in ours.” In,” Mr Verma said.
What the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, or RCMP, said, and what Trudeau said during his deposition in the court of inquiry on foreign interference, was that they had no proof or evidence, but rather intelligence from sources that were reasonable. It is a rumour.
“It’s quite ridiculous,” Mr Verma said, “What they have done is actually quite serious. As far as I understand most of the things they are citing as evidence are just rumors and source-based claims.” There are, and we should not forget that there are many anti-Indians out there who are ready to make false statements against India or Indians, which can then be treated as single-source information.”
Gathering information – the job of a diplomat
Gathering information is an important part of the job of diplomats. Explaining this, Mr Verma said, “Let me summarize it for you. Information is collected by a diplomat in two ways – an overt way, which is through open sources, and a covert way. I What I can confirm to you here is that yes, we relied on information obtained from open sources – in a direct way.”
He explained, “We collect information from information available through social media, through news about banned organisations, fundamentalists, extremists etc. So we did that, and we did the analysis based on the reliable information we collected “
“And the trend we saw in the analysis we did was very clear. They want to sabotage and destroy Canada-India relations. They want India’s image to be tarnished internationally.”
‘Justin Trudeau personally involved’
“One thing is quite openly seen and known – that Mr. Trudeau himself is considered very close to Khalistani extremists and terrorists, especially politically. Through people close to him, both in his Cabinet and in the Canadian Parliament, some of his Close friends are not at all keen on good Canada-India relations,” Mr Verma said.
“I don’t want to comment on domestic politics in Canada, but what I’ve seen, heard and read in the media is that his party is not doing well. Opinion polls are not in his favor, and most of all, Mr. Mr. Trudeau’s leadership is also under threat within the party, Verma said.
‘Khalistan extremism a business’
Explaining the way Khalistan separatism works, Mr Verma said that “It is a business, because the money which is collected by these extremists and fundamentalists through extortion and other illegal means, they use it to destabilize India. In a sustained effort to do so and also provide funding.” His personal, lavish lifestyle.”
“So, if I am trying to provide evidence of their illegal activities and trying to shut down their business, I become their target. And that is exactly what was seen when they sent Indian diplomats to Canada Openly threatened and targeted him.” Shri Verma threw light.
He further said that it is not just diplomats, “Our Prime Minister and Home Minister have been threatened, diplomats have been targeted. Some other instances are that effigies of Indian diplomats including mine were burnt in the form of Ravana , cutouts of my face were made into targets for shooting practice, and many other examples.”
“You will not see such things happening so openly and with the support of the government in any civil society,” he said.
The diplomat further said, ‘When you show the bullet-riddled effigy of the former Prime Minister of the largest democracy, who is your ally, along with photographs of his murder and openly cheer it, it is hate speech, Not free speech.”
