“False” that Charandass Persaud still High Commissioner to India- Foreign Ministry official

Last Updated on Wednesday, 23 November 2022, 17:38 by Denis Chabrol

The Alliance For Change (AFC) on Wednesday claimed that Mr Charandass Persaud was still functioning as Guyana’s High Commissioner to India although he was recalled earlier this month when a video surfaced of him verbally abusing a prominent Indian animal rights activist at his official residence in India, but a Foreign Ministry official denied that he was still performing the duties of envoy.

“Totally false,” a Foreign Ministry official told Demerara Waves on condition of anonymity. The AFC earlier Wednesday released a statement and a purported invitation by Dr Asif Iqbal, President of the government-run Indian Economic Trade Organisation (IETO),  to a Latin American Ambassadors reception on  November 25. Mr Persaud is listed as one four guests of honour alongside the envoys of Jamaica, Cuba, and Trinidad and Tobago.

But the Foreign Ministry source said that Mr Persaud was unaware of that invitation and is making arrangements to leave India. “I don’t know where the AFC got that from. I don’t know if they printed something and haven’t sent it out but it hasn’t reached him as yet,” he said.

The source said Mr Persaud is required to “stay on track with what we have decided on”- that is for him to leave that diplomatic post. “His disengaged and obviously he is not active,” the official said, adding that Mr. Persaud has already been formally informed of the decision.

The AFC claimed that Mr Persaud was slated to attend the event with the full knowledge of President Irfaan Ali and Foreign Affairs Minister Hugh Todd. “Further, information in hand is that both the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the President himself are aware of, and approved Persaud’s continued functioning, and attendance at this state function,” that party said.

The AFC said it contacted the host, Dr Iqbal, to bring to his attention the “disgrace” the presence of Mr. Persaud at the event can cause.

Stressing that it believed that Mr Persaud was still performing the duties of High Commissioner, the AFC accused the “callous, insensitive and dishonorable regime” of hoodwinking Guyanese. “After all, Charandass Persaud’s behaviour now seems to have been embraced by the PPP, or could it have been a case of his mimicking theirs,” the AFC added.

Mr Persaud was seen and heard in the video verbally abusing a woman who was enquiring about a specific dog that she usually feeds but was told that the man had chased away. “I don’t need a dog in my yard alright. You want a dog? Take it and out between your leg. You probably want the dog to …. you. That’s what you want. I don’t care who the hell you are. F… you,” the man said.

The man then turned to a man and cautioned him against allowing any woman entering his yard bef0re  he suggested to the person who was video recording the altercati0n that “you like your camera?”.

But a police reply to the woman’s complaint revealed that that three other persons denied that the Indian High Commissioner ever committed such an offence. “During the enquiry, three persons…were examined who denied the allegations of complainant,: the document states. “So in these circumstances, allegations of sexual abusive words to complainant have also not been substantiated,” the report states.