Former Indian High Commissioner to Canada, Sanjay Kumar Verma categorically rejected Ottawa’s allegations linking him to the killing of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar and asserted that the Canadian government had “no evidence” and was using the issue for political convenience.
In a recent interview with CNN-News18, Verma clarified that his mandate in Canada was solely to protect India’s interests and counter anti-India propaganda.
“I did my duty of defending India’s interests in Canada. I was able to raise my voice against anti-India elements. I did not do anything which was covert or against Canada-India relations,” he said.
Verma emphasised that the rise of Khalistani extremism in Canada remained a pressing concern for India.
“The Khalistan issue in Canada is a threat to India; it was concerning,” he noted, while also pointing out that Canadian authorities did little to address New Delhi’s security concerns.
“They did not share things with us. To some extent, they made our lives difficult. My freedom was limited. Probably they might be watching or listening to wherever I went,” he said.
He further alleged that he and Indian defence personnel faced harassment from Canadian officials during their time in the country.
“Someone from our defence forces who used to visit Canada was harassed. I was harassed,” he said.
The remarks from Verma come nearly a year after diplomatic tensions between India and Canada reached a low point.
In October last year, New Delhi expelled six Canadian diplomats and recalled Verma and other officials following Ottawa’s accusations of Indian involvement in Nijjar’s killing.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) dismissed the allegations as “ludicrous” and said they “deserved to be treated with contempt.”
The ministry also underscored Verma’s distinguished 36-year diplomatic career, which includes key postings in Japan, Sudan, Italy, Turkiye, Vietnam, and China.
An Indian Foreign Service officer from the 1988 batch, Verma is an alumnus of Patna University and IIT Delhi.
India has consistently maintained that Canada has failed to produce credible evidence in the Nijjar case, while continuing to provide political space to extremist groups that pose a direct threat to Indian national security.