India expelled six Canadian diplomats and announced the withdrawal of its high commissioner and other targeted officials on Monday, strongly rejecting Ottawa's allegations that linked the envoy to the investigation into the killing of Khalistani extremist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
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This move marks a significant deterioration in the already strained relations between the two countries.
The decision to recall High Commissioner Sanjay Verma and several other diplomats followed a meeting where the Canadian Charge d'Affaires, Stewart Wheelers, was summoned to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
During this meeting, Wheelers was informed that the unfounded "targeting" of the Indian envoy and other officials was deemed “completely unacceptable.”
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The MEA said High Commissioner Verma is India's longest-serving diplomat, with a distinguished career spanning 36 years.
“He has been Ambassador in Japan and Sudan, while also serving in Italy, Turkiye, Vietnam and China. The aspersions the Government of Canada cast on him are ludicrous and deserve to be treated with contempt,” it said.
“The government of India has taken cognizance of the activities of the Canadian High Commission in India that serve the political agenda of the current regime,” it said.
Sanjay Kumar Verma, an Indian Foreign Service officer from the 1988 batch, has had a distinguished diplomatic career spanning over three decades. Born on 28 July 1965, he graduated from Patna University and pursued a Post-Graduate degree in Physics at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi.
Verma began his diplomatic journey at the High Commission of India in Hong Kong and subsequently served at Indian Embassies in China, Vietnam, and Türkiye.
He was Consul General of India in Milan, Italy, and later served as the Indian Ambassador to Sudan. After his tenure in Sudan, he worked as Joint Secretary and then Additional Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi. He also served as the Ambassador of India to Japan and the Republic of the Marshall Islands. In September 2022, he was appointed as the High Commissioner of India to Canada.
MEA emphasized that High Commissioner Sanjay Verma is India's most senior diplomat, boasting a distinguished career of 36 years. It highlighted his previous ambassadorships in Japan and Sudan and his service in Italy, Türkiye, Vietnam, and China. The MEA described the allegations made against him by the Canadian government as "ludicrous" and deserving of contempt.
Additionally, the MEA noted that the Indian government is aware of the activities of the Canadian High Commission in India, which it believes align with the political agenda of the current Canadian regime.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Prime Minister Trudeau had a brief exchange last week during the East Asia summit in Laos.
(With inputs from agencies)
