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In an interview with CNN-News18, Verma said his role in Canada was limited to defending India’s interests and countering anti-India propaganda.
Former Indian High Commissioner to Canada Sanjay Kumar Verma | File Image
Former Indian High Commissioner to Canada Sanjay Kumar Verma strongly rejected Ottawa’s allegations linking him to the killing of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, saying the Canadian government had “no evidence” and was only using the issue for political convenience.
In an interview with CNN-News18, Verma said his role in Canada was limited to defending India’s interests and countering anti-India propaganda.
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“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.
#WATCH | Former India’s Envoy to Canada, Sanjay Kumar Verma, speaks exclusively to CNN News18: “I did nothing covert or against Canada-India relations. My duty was to defend India’s interests. The Khalistan issue in Canada is a threat to India, and I made sure to raise my voice… pic.twitter.com/EUzyQrYYWj— News18 (@CNNnews18) August 26, 2025
Verma underscored that Khalistani extremism in Canada remained a matter of concern for New Delhi.
“The Khalistan issue in Canada is a threat to India; it was concerning,” he noted, adding that Ottawa did little to address Indian 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.
The former envoy also alleged harassment by Canadian authorities. “Someone from our defence forces who used to visit Canada was harassed. I was harassed,” he said.
The remarks come a year after relations between the two countries plunged to new lows.
In October last year, India expelled six Canadian diplomats and recalled Verma and other officials after Ottawa accused Indian diplomats of involvement in Nijjar’s killing.
The Ministry of External Affairs dismissed the allegations as “ludicrous” and said they “deserved to be treated with contempt.”
The MEA had also highlighted Verma’s 36-year diplomatic career, which included key postings in Japan, Sudan, Italy, Turkiye, Vietnam and China.
An Indian Foreign Service officer of the 1988 batch, Verma studied at Patna University and IIT Delhi before joining the service.
India has consistently maintained that Canada has failed to provide credible evidence in the Nijjar case, while giving political space to extremist groups that pose a direct threat to India’s security.
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