India expels a Canadian diplomat in retaliation.
Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau shares information with global allies on the case.
India denies involvement, calls allegations baseless and motivated.
The diplomatic dispute between New Delhi and Ottawa escalated further on Tuesday following the assassination of a Sikh leader. In a retaliatory move, India expelled a Canadian diplomat, sparking international attention to the matter.
Tensions between the two nations reached a new low after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused the Narendra Modi government of involvement in the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia in June. Nijjar, labeled a “terrorist” by India in July 2020 due to his support for an independent Sikh homeland known as Khalistan, was shot dead outside a Sikh temple.
India summoned the Canadian high commissioner in New Delhi and conveyed the expulsion decision, stating that it reflected India’s growing concern over Canadian diplomats’ interference in internal matters and their involvement in anti-India activities. The affected diplomat was given five days to leave India.
Trudeau shared information regarding the Indian government’s alleged role in the Nijjar case with his close allies, including UK PM Rishi Sunak, French President Emmanuel Macron, and US President Joe Biden. Canada also expelled India’s top intelligence agent in the country, Pavan Kumar Rai, who was operating from the Indian High Commission in Canada.
The shocking revelation about India’s involvement in the incident came to light during Trudeau’s speech in an emergency assembly session. Canada was actively investigating credible allegations linking Indian government agents to Nijjar’s murder.
Trudeau had raised the murder issue directly with Modi during the G20 summit in New Delhi and called on India to cooperate in resolving the matter. In response, Modi expressed strong concern over recent demonstrations in Canada by Sikhs advocating for an independent state.
Canada is home to a significant Sikh population, with approximately 770,000 people identifying as Sikh in the 2021 census.
India swiftly rejected the allegations of involvement in violence, describing them as baseless and motivated. The Indian foreign ministry issued a statement terming Trudeau’s accusations as unfounded and emphasized that similar allegations made to Prime Minister Modi had been entirely dismissed.
India called on Canada to take legal action against anti-India elements operating from its soil, arguing that these unsubstantiated claims diverted attention from Khalistani terrorists and extremists sheltered in Canada. The diplomatic rift between the two countries underscores the complexity of international relations in the context of domestic and global concerns related to Sikh separatism.
