India-Canada tensions simmer over ‘preposterous’ terror charges.
India has strongly rebutted Canada’s allegations of its High Commissioner’s involvement in a terror probe as ‘baseless’, exacerbating already tense bilateral ties.
Relations nosedived after Canadian PM Justin Trudeau blamed India over a Khalistani militant’s killing in June without evidence, seen as appeasing pro-Khalistan votes.
India dismissed the claims as ‘absurd’ and ‘motivated’, accusing Trudeau of playing politics. Tensions spiked with Canada declaring the Indian envoy a ‘person of interest’.
Rejecting this as ‘preposterous imputations’, New Delhi slammed Ottawa for tarnishing officials without proof to justify failing to rein in Khalistani extremism.
It noted India’s High Commissioner is a veteran diplomat serving multiple nations with distinction, deservedly earning India’s contempt for the ‘ludicrous aspersions’.
While a brief PM Modi-Trudeau meeting saw the latter reiterating safety concerns, India has long called out Canada’s leniency towards those advocating violence and right-wing radicalization.
Failure to heed calls for concrete action against pro-Khalistan backers and fast-tracking some illegal immigrants’ citizenship has further frayed ties, say diplomats.
Canada admits relations are ‘very difficult’, with reconciliation hinging on meaningful steps against elements destabilizing the bilateral relationship.
