India’s decision to expel a Canadian diplomat and strip the diplomatic immunity of dozens of other envoys was retaliatory and based partially on “an emotional element,” but relations between the two countries are better than they were two months ago, India’s High Commissioner to Canada says.
Sanjay Kumar Verma told CTV’s Question Period host Vassy Kapelos, in a wide-ranging exclusive interview airing Sunday, that things have improved between the two countries since September thanks to ongoing “constructive” discussions.
This, after he said “the emotional element was a factor” in India’s decision to expel a Canadian diplomat.
He insists, however, that the move to strip the diplomatic immunities from dozens of other envoys in October was largely for the sake of parity, to have the same number of Canadian diplomats in India as there were Indian diplomats stationed in Canada.
It’s been a tense two months between Canada and India, after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced in the House of Commons in September there were “credible allegations” the Indian government may have been involved in the killing of Canadian Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in B.C. in June.
India has denied the allegation — with Verma insisting India was “absolutely” and “decidedly” not involved — but has thus far refused to cooperate with any investigation.
Verma said India’s “main concern” in its relations with Canada remains that “some Canadian citizens are using Canadian soil to launch attacks on (India’s) sovereignty and territorial integrity,” referring to the Sikh separatist movement. He added from that “core issue” come “security concerns” for Indian diplomats and officials working in Canada, himself included.
Later, when asked by Kapelos whether he is overblowing the risk Sikh separatists pose for domestic political advantage in India, the high commissioner said his government has presented “documentation” to the Canadian government “through a mutually agreed channel” to prove Sikh separatists living in Canada are engaging in criminal activity in both countries.
When pressed on the timing of relations between the two countries going sour, and the quid-pro-quo expulsion of diplomats taking place shortly after Trudeau’s allegation in the House of Commons, Verma said “emotions became very high” at that time.
“Since one of our principal diplomats was expelled from here as persona non grata, so yes, we did retaliate on that,” he said. “Any action will have reaction, and similarly, we declared persona non grata on one of the Canadian diplomats who was at the Canadian High Commission in New Delhi, and others are in a process of evaluation.”
Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly, in a statement at the time, called India’s actions “completely unreasonable and escalatory.”
When asked why having parity in terms of the number of diplomats in both countries did not seem to be an issue prior to September, Verma said Trudeau’s allegations impacted the Indian government’s assessment.
“The emotions became very high once the statements were made from Ottawa,” he said. “And a bit of emotional elements will be there, and the decisions are taken.”
“The events which unfolded after the (prime minister’s) statements were made, we did not feel it was very friendly,” he also said.
Verma also said, however, that Canada and India are working on “more dialogue” to sort out how to “facilitate a better diplomatic presence” in both countries.
And when asked whether he sees a path to some form of solution and improved relations between the two countries, Verma said “of course.”
“I would say that, yes, the relationship is better than what it was a couple of months back,” he also said, in response to a question about what should be inferred from India’s decision to reinstate electronic visa applications for Canadians.
Verma in his interview also discussed that decision this week to reinstate some visa applications for Canadians, why India is cooperating with an American investigation but not Canada’s, and the Sikh separatism movement in Canada more broadly.
Watch the full interview on CTV’s Question Period Sunday at 11 a.m. ET.
