In an escalated diplomatic row, India has decided to withdraw the high commissioner and diplomats from Canada.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) statement also said, “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”.

Criticising Trudeau for his government’s support for ‘extremism, violence, and separatism against India,’ the Canadian envoy was summoned by the Ministry of External affairs today.

According to the MEA statement, the Canadian envoy was informed that the baseless targeting of the Indian High Commissioner and other diplomats and officials in Canada was completely unacceptable.

“In an atmosphere of extremism and violence, the Trudeau Government's actions endangered their safety.  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,” read the statement.

Earlier today, India slammed the Canadian government led by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, asserting once again that it has "consciously provided" space to violent extremists and terrorists to harass, threaten and intimidate Indian diplomats and community leaders in Canada. 

"We have received a diplomatic communication from Canada yesterday suggesting that the Indian High Commissioner and other diplomats are 'persons of interest' in a matter related to an investigation in that country. The Government of India strongly rejects these preposterous imputations and ascribes them to the political agenda of the Trudeau Government that is centred around vote bank politics," read a strongly-worded statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in the afternoon.

(With inputs from syndicated feed)