New Delhi [India], March 21 (ANI): Former High Commissioner to Canada Sanjay Verma on Saturday welcomed recent remarks by Canada’s police chief indicating no link between the Indian state and the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, calling it a vindication of India’s long-held position.
In an interview with ANI, Verma said the latest statement by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) chief clearly separates two aspects: the ongoing criminal case related to Nijjar’s killing and broader allegations of transnational repression or foreign interference.
“When I look at it, what he said—let’s be very clear what he said first. He has kept it in two different buckets. One bucket is the Khalistani terrorist who was killed there. And another bucket is transnational repression and transnational crimes,” Verma said.
He noted that the four accused individuals had reportedly entered Canada as students and that their trial is currently underway, emphasizing that the legal process should take its course independently.
The remarks follow statements by RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme, who said there is no threat to Canadians from any agent linked to India.
In an interview with CTV, Duheme said the available evidence does not establish a connection to a foreign entity.
“Well, what I quoted in 2024 was based on the criminal investigation that we had at the time. The government official who made that quote—I’m not quite sure who briefed him. What I’m saying is that for that particular file at that time, yes, I did say you had agents or proxies from the government. But what we’re seeing right now in transnational repression, the dots don’t always connect to a foreign entity,” Duheme said.
On the issue of the Bishnoi gang, which has been linked to extortion activities in cities such as Surrey, Brampton, and Calgary, Duheme noted the complexity of the cases and said there are currently no confirmed links between the gang’s activities and the Government of India.
Addressing broader allegations of foreign interference, Verma reiterated India’s consistent stance, stating that earlier claims lacked credible evidence.
“When you look at the first bucket, there is a court case already underway; charges have been filed against four Indian nationals. These individuals went to Canada as international students. What happened thereafter is part of the judicial process, and their trial is ongoing. The second bucket is India’s overall engagement in Canada,” he said.
The former envoy expressed satisfaction over the recent clarification by Canadian authorities.
“When I was serving in Ottawa, there was significant noise regarding India’s role in transnational repression and crimes in Canada. I consistently stated that it is not India’s policy to interfere in the internal affairs of another country. Unfortunately, that position was not accepted at the time. I am glad to see the recent statement indicating that there is no current link to any foreign entity, including India,” he said.
“Personally, I feel that what we have been advocating has now been acknowledged. I hope this augurs well for the future relationship between India and Canada,” he added.
India and Canada experienced a diplomatic strain in 2023 after New Delhi raised concerns over Canada’s perceived leniency toward Khalistani extremist elements. Then-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had alleged that Indian agents were involved in Nijjar’s killing outside a gurdwara in Canada.
Amid the diplomatic tensions, Canada issued a communication suggesting that the Indian High Commissioner and other diplomats were “persons of interest” in the case. India strongly rejected the allegations, describing them as “preposterous imputations” and part of a political agenda, and subsequently recalled Verma and five other diplomats.
Verma reiterated that the earlier accusations were politically motivated.
“We always said this was politically motivated; we always said this was driven by vote-bank politics; we always said there was no evidence. We are glad that this is now becoming clear, and that India is being seen for what it is—a nation that does not interfere in the internal affairs of other countries,” he said.
He also expressed hope that the development would help improve bilateral ties, noting that both countries have been working to normalize relations, including recent high-level engagements such as Mark Carney’s visit to India. (ANI)
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