OTTAWA: India's envoy to Canada, who is being expelled for what Ottawa says are links to the assassination of a Sikh leader, insisted in an interview that he was innocent and said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had ruined ties. bilateral politicians.
On Monday, both countries ordered the departure of six diplomats in tit-for-tat measures over Ottawa's accusations that New Delhi was attacking Indian dissidents on Canadian soil.
Trudeau specifically linked the six to the murder of Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar last year in British Columbia. Sanjay Kumar Verma, India's envoy to Canada, said CTV that Trudeau had relied on intelligence rather than evidence.
“On the basis of intelligence, if you want to destroy a relationship, be my guest. And that's what he did,” Verma said in an interview broadcast Sunday.
Asked if he had anything to do with Nijjar's murder, Verma said: “Nothing at all. No evidence was presented. (This is) politically motivated.”
Canada is home to the largest population of Sikhs outside their home state of Punjab and protests in favor of a separate homeland separate from India have irritated New Delhi.
