NewsGate Press Network

By Vineet Dikshit

Top six Canadian diplomats were expelled by India including its acting high commissioner Stewart Wheeler who was earlier in the day summoned by the  South Block and given a dressing down about diplomatic etiquette.

In the morning Canada had conveyed or rather alleged that Indian High Commissioner in Ottawa is now a ‘person of interest’ in Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjhar murder case.

In the afternoon acting HC of Canada was summoned by the Secretary (East) MEA.

He was stunned after he was informed that India is withdrawing its High Commissioner and downgrading its mission in Canada.

And late in the evening further action by MEA – six top Canadian diplomats were expelled by New Delhi and bluntly give time to board the flight home by 11.59 pm on Saturday the 19th of October 2024.

By the time when expel news came out, nearly all the television news channels were showing Mr Stewart Wheeler ‘explaining’ Canadian position.

His name was on the top of the list of six diplomats that have been asked to leave India in next five days.

As stated earlier, it all started when Canada allegedly expressed ‘lack of faith’ in Ottawa’s commitment to ensure his security amid an escalation in the diplomatic row between the two countries over the probe into the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar last year.

“We have no faith in the current Canadian Government’s commitment to ensure their security,” the MEA had while conveying the decision to the summoned Canadian Charge d’Affaires.

“It was underlined that in an atmosphere of extremism and violence, the (Justin) Trudeau Government’s actions endangered their safety. Therefore, the Government of India has decided to withdraw the High Commissioner and other targeted diplomats and officials,” MEA said in a statement.

The Ministry said, “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”.

The development came after the Indian government criticised Canada for investigating the Indian ambassador and other diplomats as “persons of interest” over the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

The MEA said India received a “diplomatic communication from Canada yesterday naming the Indian High Commissioner and other diplomats as ‘persons of interest’ in a matter related to an investigation in that country”.

Nijjar, the mastermind behind the banned Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF), was shot dead in June last year by masked gunmen in a suburb of Vancouver in Western Canada.