Canada expelled six Indian diplomats, including the high commissioner, in connection with the murder of a Sikh separatist leader and alleged efforts to target Indian dissidents within its borders.
This action was met with retaliation from India, which ordered the expulsion of six senior Canadian diplomats, including the acting high commissioner, while also announcing the withdrawal of its envoy from Canada, contradicting Canada’s expulsion claims.
This diplomatic dispute marks a significant deterioration in relations between the two Commonwealth nations.
Tensions have escalated since Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau revealed evidence last year linking Indian agents to the assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Sikh leader, on Canadian soil.
At a news conference, Trudeau stated that the government possesses “clear and compelling evidence” of Indian agents engaging in activities that threaten public safety, including covert information gathering, coercive behavior targeting South Asian Canadians, and involvement in numerous violent acts, including murder.
“This is unacceptable,” he said, condemning India for committing fundamental errors by engaging in criminal activities on Canadian territory.
India has consistently denied Trudeau’s allegations, and on Monday dismissed Canada’s inquiry as a politically motivated agenda.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police previously reported that the Indian government had conducted a widespread campaign against Indian dissidents, involving acts of homicide, extortion, and interference in democratic processes.
In response to the escalating situation, India requested that six Canadian diplomats leave the country by Saturday and summoned Acting High Commissioner Stewart Wheeler.
The Indian foreign ministry expressed concerns about the safety of its diplomats in Canada, stating, “We have no faith in the current Canadian Government’s commitment to ensure their security.”
Canada’s Foreign Minister Melanie Joly noted that the Canadian government had asked India to waive diplomatic immunity for six diplomats to allow investigations into the allegations but had to proceed with expulsion due to a lack of cooperation.
Experts suggest that the relationship between Canada and India has shifted from a rift to a major rupture, making a return to normalcy unlikely in the near future.
Canada hosts the largest Sikh population outside of Punjab, and recent protests have sparked concerns in India.
The U.S. has also implicated Indian agents in an attempted assassination plot against a Sikh leader in New York, with an Indian national charged in connection to the plot.
An Indian committee is set to meet U.S. officials this week to discuss these serious allegations.