India’s envoy to Canada blames Trudeau for damaged ties

INDIA's envoy to Canada, who is being expelled over what Ottawa says are links to the murder of a Sikh leader, insisted in an interview he was innocent and said prime minister Justin Trudeau had wrecked bilateral political ties, but trade may remain unscathed.

Both countries ordered out six diplomats in tit-for-tat moves over Ottawa's allegations that New Delhi was targeting Indian dissidents on Canadian soil.

Trudeau specifically tied the six to the murder of Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar last year in British Columbia. Sanjay Kumar Verma, India's envoy to Canada, told CTV that Trudeau had been relying on intelligence rather than evidence.

"On the basis of intelligence, if you want to destroy a relationship, be my guest. And that's what he did," Verma said in an interview broadcast on Sunday (20).

Asked whether he had had anything to with Nijjar's murder, Verma said: "Nothing at all. No evidence was presented. (This is) politically motivated."

Canada is home to the highest population of Sikhs outside their home state of Punjab and demonstrations in favor of a separate homeland carved out of India have irked New Delhi.

However, Verma said the episode had nothing to do with trade and cultural relations with Canada, which had two-way trade of $8.4 billion (£6.89bn) with India at the end of last fiscal year. Indians have also made up Canada's largest group of international students in recent years.

"There will be emotions on both sides... which may impact a few of those deals, but the larger picture is that I don't see much impact on non-political bilateral relations," Verma said.

The relations between the two countries came under severe strain following Trudeau’s allegations in September last year of a “potential” involvement of Indian agents in Nijjar’s killing.

New Delhi rejected Trudeau’s charges as “absurd”.

India has been maintaining that the main issue between the two countries is that of Canada giving space to pro-Khalistan elements operating from Canadian soil with impunity.

India has strongly rejected attempts by Canadian authorities to link Indian agents with criminal gangs in Canada with official sources in New Delhi even saying that Ottawa's assertion that it shared evidence with New Delhi in the Nijjar case was simply not true.

(Agencies)