India is planning to restore high commissioner-level relations with Canada, months after withdrawing its envoy to Ottawa over the Khalistan extremism issue, with seasoned diplomat Dinesh Patnaik being considered for the post, people in the know said.
Patnaik, a 1990-batch Indian Foreign Service officer who is currently India's ambassador to Spain, had earlier represented India in Morocco and Cambodia besides being the director-general of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations in New Delhi. Patnaik had also served in Dhaka and Beijing early in his career.
Ottawa has been in touch with New Delhi on measures to improve ties, ET has learnt.
India, meanwhile, has been clear in its demands on action against Sikh extremists. India in October last year withdrew high commissioner Sanjay Verma and some diplomats from Ottawa, rejecting allegations of them being “persons of interest” in an investigation into a murder case (of Khalistani extremist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
It was also underlined that in an atmosphere of extremism and violence, the then Justin Trudeau government’s actions endangered the safety of the diplomats in Canada. “We have no faith in the current Canadian government’s commitment to ensure their security. Therefore, the government of India has decided to withdraw the high commissioner and other targeted diplomats and officials,” the foreign ministry had announced.
India has often held Trudeau and his soft attitude towards Khalistani extremists responsible for deterioration in the ties between the two countries. High commissioner Verma, before departing from Ottawa, accused Trudeau of ruining the bilateral ties for political gains. In an interview with Canada’s private broadcaster CTV, Verma said: “Canada didn’t follow the practice which should have been there. Evidence should have been shared first, but someone (Trudeau) decided to stand in Parliament and talk about a thing for which he himself has said there was no hard evidence.”
According to him, the evidence being cited by Canada was hearsay. “I know, for sure, that they go from one person to the other, asking them about the hearsay. Most of them are those who are pro-Khalistan elements, anti-India elements,” he said during the interview.
Verma had also highlighted Western hypocrisy, saying: “Gone are the days when the so-called developed countries would ask a developing country that you must do this, and they will run after them and do it.”
Verma said that he and his colleagues were monitoring pro-Khalistan and anti-India elements in Canada, but not using any covert means.
Patnaik, a 1990-batch Indian Foreign Service officer who is currently India's ambassador to Spain, had earlier represented India in Morocco and Cambodia besides being the director-general of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations in New Delhi. Patnaik had also served in Dhaka and Beijing early in his career.
Ottawa has been in touch with New Delhi on measures to improve ties, ET has learnt.
India, meanwhile, has been clear in its demands on action against Sikh extremists. India in October last year withdrew high commissioner Sanjay Verma and some diplomats from Ottawa, rejecting allegations of them being “persons of interest” in an investigation into a murder case (of Khalistani extremist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
Trudeau’s Soft Attitude
New Delhi had described the accusations as “preposterous imputations” raised as part of a political agenda, and told the Canadian government that “baseless targeting” of Indian diplomats and officials was unacceptable.It was also underlined that in an atmosphere of extremism and violence, the then Justin Trudeau government’s actions endangered the safety of the diplomats in Canada. “We have no faith in the current Canadian government’s commitment to ensure their security. Therefore, the government of India has decided to withdraw the high commissioner and other targeted diplomats and officials,” the foreign ministry had announced.
India has often held Trudeau and his soft attitude towards Khalistani extremists responsible for deterioration in the ties between the two countries. High commissioner Verma, before departing from Ottawa, accused Trudeau of ruining the bilateral ties for political gains. In an interview with Canada’s private broadcaster CTV, Verma said: “Canada didn’t follow the practice which should have been there. Evidence should have been shared first, but someone (Trudeau) decided to stand in Parliament and talk about a thing for which he himself has said there was no hard evidence.”
According to him, the evidence being cited by Canada was hearsay. “I know, for sure, that they go from one person to the other, asking them about the hearsay. Most of them are those who are pro-Khalistan elements, anti-India elements,” he said during the interview.
Verma had also highlighted Western hypocrisy, saying: “Gone are the days when the so-called developed countries would ask a developing country that you must do this, and they will run after them and do it.”
Verma said that he and his colleagues were monitoring pro-Khalistan and anti-India elements in Canada, but not using any covert means.
