New Delhi: India has summoned Canada’s charge d’affaires in this country after diplomatic relations between the two countries hit a new low.
After strongly criticising Canada’s move to name the Indian ambassador and other diplomats as ‘persons of interest’ in the murder of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar on Canadian soil last year, the Foreign Ministry summoned Stewart Wheeler, Canadian envoy to New Delhi.
Labelling Canada’s allegations as “preposterous” and a “strategy of smearing India for political gains”, the Indian government issued a strong 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.
Indo-Canadian relations have taken a beating since last year after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said there were “credible allegations” linking Indian intelligence to the killing of Nijjar.
India, having designated Nijjar as a terrorist in 2020, dismissed Trudeau’s charges as “absurd”.