India has summoned Canada's charge d' affairs in New Delhi after the diplomatic relations between the two countries witnessed a new low today. Foreign Ministry's summons to Stewart Wheeler followed the government's criticism of Canada for investigating the Indian ambassador and other diplomats as "persons of interest" over the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said India received a "diplomatic communication from Canada yesterday suggesting that the Indian High Commissioner and other diplomats are 'persons of interest' in a matter related to an investigation in that country".
The government called the allegations "preposterous" and a "strategy of smearing India for political gains".
"The Government of India strongly rejects these preposterous imputations and ascribes them to the political agenda of the Trudeau Government that is centred around vote bank politics," the government said in a sharp rebuttal.
"India now reserves the right to take further steps in response to these latest efforts of the Canadian Government to concoct allegations against Indian diplomats," the foreign ministry added.
Last year, Justin Trudeau in the Canadian parliament had alleged the “potential involvement” of Indian agents in the killing of Nijjar.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently met Justin Trudeau on the sidelines of the ASEAN Summit in Laos, almost a year after his Canadian counterpart accused India of involvement in the death of a Khalistani terrorist.
As per sources there was no substantive discussion between the two leaders, Trudeau termed the meeting a "brief exchange".
Canada is home to around 7,70,000 Sikhs, who make up about two percent of the country's population.
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.
