India withdrew its envoy to Canada on Monday along with other officials and diplomats who Ottawa named as “persons of interest” in a matter related to an investigation in the country, the foreign ministry said.
New Delhi rejected the “preposterous imputations” of the Canadian assertion, made in a diplomatic communication on Sunday, saying it was part of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau‘s “political agenda” centered around “vote bank politics.”
The foreign ministry also said it summoned the Canadian Charge d’Affaires on Monday and informed him that the “baseless targeting” of Indian diplomats and officials in Canada was “completely unacceptable.”
“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,” it said in a statement.
India also conveyed that it “reserves” the right to take further steps in response to the Canadian government’s “support …