LONDON: The UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) issued on Wednesday a statement siding with Canada in the diplomatic firestorm that has erupted between Ottawa and New Delhi, saying India’s “cooperation with Canada’s legal process was the right next step”.
The FCDO issued a strongly worded statement “on the ongoing Canadian investigation linked to the govt of India”.The heading, in big bold letters, read: “Canadian investigation linked to the Govt of India.”
The statement quoted an FCDO spokesperson as saying: “We are in contact with our Canadian partners about the serious developments outlined in the independent investigations in Canada. The UK has full confidence in Canada’s judicial system. Respect for sovereignty and the rule of law is essential…”
The diplomatic row had erupted on Monday when India withdrew its high commissioner, Sanjay Verma, and five other diplomats from Canada and expelled six Canadian diplomats from India, including the acting high commissioner. The MEA said it was a response to a diplomatic communication it had received from Canada on Sunday suggesting that Verma and the other diplomats are “persons of interest” in the investigation into the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a separatist advocating the creation of Khalistan who was designated a terrorist by India.
The same day Canadian police held a press briefing and claimed they had “multiple ongoing investigations into the involvement of agents of the govt of India in serious criminal activity in Canada” and accused agents of India’s govt of being involved in “homicides, extortions and other criminal acts of violence” in Canada and of coercing individuals and businesses to “collect information” to “target members of the South Asian community” in Canada.
Overseas Friends of BJP UK president Kuldeep Singh Shekhawat said: “For the Canadian PM to survive the next year until the elections, he needs NDP’s support, otherwise his govt will fall. It looks like Jagmeet Singh has made a condition of his support to Trudeau being that Trudeau should malign India and Indian diplomats. India has nothing to hide or ignore. Pointing fingers at India is not the solution. The Canadian PM has to clean his own house. His political compulsions are destroying India-Canada relations. I think the UK should put some sense into Justin Trudeau and make a mature statement.No govt in the world, not even Pakistan, has accused India of such a criminal nexus.”
An Indian diplomatic source told TOI: “The Canadian PM has lost.”
The Friends of India Society International UK described the FCDO statement as “disappointing” and “lacking substance”. It said it was surprised to see the UK “supporting the Justin Trudeau govt” even after knowing that “the Canadian govt has not yet submitted any concrete evidence to prove their allegations on Indian officials’ involvement in the whole matter.”
“Allegations without evidence carry no weight. On the other hand, when the Indian govt has submitted multiple dossiers proving the involvement of Khalistan separatists supporting terrorist activities in India from Canadian soil, no action has been taken by the Canadian govt yet,” it said.