India withdrew its High Commissioner, Sanjay Verma, and other key officials from Canada on Monday, October 14, due to the ongoing diplomatic tension between the two countries. This move followed the summoning of Canadian Charge d'Affaires, Stewart Wheeler, by India's Ministry of External Affairs. The tension arose after Canada accused Indian officials of being involved in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

The Indian government said that the development was prompted by its loss of trust in the Justin Trudeau administration. 

The statement issued by the ministry read: "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 was underlined that in an atmosphere of extremism and violence, the Trudeau Government's actions endangered their safety," said the statement. New Delhi "reserves the right to take further steps in response to the Trudeau Government's support for extremism, violence, and separatism against India," the government further informed Wheeler.

However, Wheeler reiterated that the Trudeau administration had presented sufficient evidence in support of the case when questioned about the Indian government's decision. "Canada has provided irrefutable evidence of ties between agents of the government of India and murder of Candian citizen on Candian soil," said Wheeler. 

The Canadian government's accusations were referred to as "preposterous imputations" by the MEA earlier in the day. The MEA flatly denied these allegations in a press release, claiming they were a component of the "political agenda of the Trudeau Government." 

"Prime Minister Trudeau’s hostility to India has long been in evidence. In 2018, his visit to India, which was aimed at currying favour with a vote bank, rebounded to his discomfort. His Cabinet has included individuals who have openly associated with an extremist and separatist agenda regarding India," it said.

According to New Delhi, Ottawa has not yet offered any proof that it was responsible for Nijjar's death. It claimed that the Canadian government was conducting a smear campaign while pretending to be conducting an investigation.