Hours after deciding to withdraw its High Commissioner and other "targeted diplomats" and officials from Canada, India on Monday, October 14, expelled six Canadian diplomats.
The reason cited behind withdrawing the High Commissioner and other officials by India from Canada was Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's continued "hostility" towards the country.
In a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said "the Government of India has decided to expel the following 6 Canadian Diplomats".
1. Stewart Ross Wheeler, Acting High Commissioner
2. Patrick Hebert, Deputy High Commissioner
3. Marie Catherine Joly, First Secretary
4. Ian Ross David Trites, First Secretary
5. Adam James Chuipka, First Secretary
6. Paula Orjuela, First Secretary
The statement mentioned that the diplomats "have been asked to leave India by or before 11.59 p.m. on Saturday (October 19).
Earlier on Monday, the decision to withdraw the High Commissioner and other officials was conveyed to Canadian Charge d'Affaires Stewart Wheeler who was summoned to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Secretary (East) in New Delhi and informed that the "baseless targeting" of the Indian High Commissioner and other diplomats and officials in Canada was completely unacceptable.
"It was underlined that in an atmosphere of extremism and violence, the Trudeau Government’s actions endangered their safety. We have no faith in the current Canadian Government’s commitment to ensure their security. Therefore, the Government of India has decided to withdraw the High Commissioner and other targeted diplomats and officials," a statement read.
"It was also conveyed that India reserves the right to take further steps in response to the Trudeau Government’s support for extremism, violence and separatism against India,” it added.
Earlier in the day, India had issued a strongly-worded statement, calling the diplomatic communication received from Canada on Sunday – suggesting that the Indian High Commissioner and other diplomats are ‘persons of interest’ in a matter related to an investigation in that country – as “preposterous imputations”.
New Delhi asserted once again that the Trudeau government has “consciously provided” space to violent extremists and terrorists to harass, threaten and intimidate Indian diplomats and community leaders in Canada.
Following this, Canadian PM Justin Trudeau broke his silence and said that the “agents of the Government of India have engaged in, and continue to engage in, activities that pose a significant threat to public safety."
In an earlier press conference, Mike Duheme, the Commissioner of Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) had accused India of playing a significant role in the death of Hardeep SIngh Nijjar in June 2023. Nijjar was a Canadian Sikh involved in the Khalistan movement. Duheme also accused India of targeting the South Asian community in Canada.
Taking on from Duheme’s accusations, PM Trudeau went on to make more accusations against India such as “clandestine information gathering techniques, coercive behaviour targeting South Asian Canadians, and involvement in over a dozen threatening and violent acts, including murder."