'Hope PM Modi Will Take Oppn Into Confidence': Congress Reacts To India-Canada Diplomatic Row

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh hoped that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will take opposition leaders in confidence on the "sensitive" India-Canada relations issue.

Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh on Monday said he hoped that Prime Minister Narendra Modi would take the Leader of Opposition of both the Houses and other political parties into confidence over the "extremely sensitive and critical issue" of India-Canada relations. 

In a post on X, he said: "The Indian National Congress certainly hopes and expects that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will take into confidence the Leaders of the Opposition in both Houses of Parliament and the leaders of other political parties on this extremely sensitive and critical issue of India-Canada relations." 

Currently, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi is the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, while Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge is the LoP in the Rajya Sabha. 

The Congress leader's remark came as India announced the expulsion of six Canadian diplomats, hours after recalling the Indian high commissioner and some other officials.

The Canadian diplomats have been asked to leave the country by or before 11:59 pm on October 19.

India made the decision shortly after the Ministry of External Affairs summoned Canadian Charge d'Affaires Stewart Wheelers. The MEA communicated to him that the baseless "targeting" of High Commissioner Sanjay Verma and other diplomats and linking them to an investigation into the killing of Sikh extremist Hardeep Singh Nijjar was "completely unacceptable".

India has dubbed the charges against Verma as "concocted" and "preposterous imputations" and ascribes the allegations to the "political agenda of the Trudeau government that is centred around vote bank politics".

"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," said the MEA in a statement. 

It was also conveyed that India reserves the right to take further steps in response to the Trudeau Government’s support for extremism, violence and separatism against India," it added.