New Delhi: The six Indian diplomats withdrawn from Canada, including High Commissioner Sanjay Kumar Verma, will receive security cover on their return following an assessment being undertaken by the concerned agencies, ThePrint has learnt.
Sources in the security establishment said the Indian diplomats had been issued grave threats by Sikh separatists in Canada, and drew attention to a video put out by the banned Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), which showed Verma’s poster being shot at several times with a 9mm pistol.
The diplomats will be back in India by Sunday, the sources said
The six who have been pulled out from Canada include both diplomats and officials, the sources said, although they did not provide the exact break-up.
However, Siddhartha Nath, the Indian consul general in Toronto, is one of the six, according to the sources.
Asked what kind of security cover will be extended to the diplomats, the sources said security agencies were carrying out an assessment and the cover would be provided accordingly.
They added that nothing can be left to chance when it comes to threats issued in public by radical elements.
In July this year, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had extended the ban on SFJ for another five years.
The MHA describes the SFJ as being known for “anti-national and subversive activities in Punjab, with the intention to disrupt the sovereignty and territorial integrity of India”.
Bilateral ties between India and Canada have dropped to an all-time low after the government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau named Indian diplomats and officials as “persons of interest” in the 2023 killing of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
India has also expelled six Canadian diplomats, including the acting high commissioner and the deputy commissioner. They have been asked to leave the country by 19 October.
A total of 35 Indian diplomats were accredited with Canadian authorities and India had a total staff strength of 120.
Also read: Canada says all actions including diplomatic sanctions on table, gives no evidence on Nijjar killing
The PIO (Person of India) status and it’s associated privileges must be withdrawn from people whom the Indian agencies suspect of involvement with Khalistani activities.