'Just 2-inch away...': Envoy recalls sword attack by Khalistani protesters
India's recalled High Commissioner to Canada, Sanjay Kumar Verma, has recounted a horrifying incident in which he was attacked by pro-Khalistan supporters in Alberta, Canada. The attack occurred when Verma was attending a business event organized by the Indian community. He narrated how a sword came within two to two-and-a-half inches of his body during the attack.
'They blocked the convention hall's entrance'
Verma clarified the weapon used wasn't a kirpan, a religious symbol in Sikhism, but a sword. "Yes, a couple of times, they came very close to bodily harming us. I was in a city in Alberta where the Indian community had arranged a dinner and cultural programmes. It was a business event being held in a convention hall," he told ANI. There were 150 people outside the venue, he added.
Police presence and aftermath of the attack
Varma further claimed that the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and local police were present at the scene but "they also did not think that such a thing would happen." Verma and his wife were escorted into the venue, amid chaos. After the incident, local police interrogated the matter, but Verma wasn't told about its outcomes. "We also informed the Global Affairs of Canada about the incident. They also believed that this was not right," he said.
Diplomatic tensions between India and Canada
This incident comes amid strained diplomatic relations between India and Canada. Tensions escalated after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged Indian government involvement in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar on Canadian soil. India has denied these allegations, labeling them as "absurd" and "motivated." In response to these claims, India expelled six Canadian diplomats and recalled its own high commissioner, Varma, and five other diplomats from Canada.
Verma's accusations and hopes for future relations
In another interview with PTI, Verma accused Canadian politicians of promoting Khalistan for electoral gains and claimed that terrorists found refuge in Canada due to its lenient legal system. He said Khalistani supporters engage in illegal activities such as human trafficking and drug trafficking under the guise of promoting Khalistan. "They earn a lot of money through that and also through gurudwaras and they use part of that money for all nefarious jobs," Verma told the news agency.
