In a major diplomatic standoff, Canada expelled six Indian diplomats, including the high commissioner, on Monday (14), accusing them of involvement in the assassination of a Sikh separatist leader.
This move comes as Canada alleges a broader campaign by India to target dissidents on its soil, further straining relations between the two Commonwealth nations. In retaliation, India ordered the expulsion of six high-ranking Canadian diplomats, including the acting high commissioner, and announced the withdrawal of its envoy from Canada.
The diplomatic dispute marks a significant decline in bilateral ties, which have been tense since Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau publicly linked Indian agents to the killing of Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar last year.
Trudeau’s administration has now presented what it calls “clear and compelling evidence” that Indian government agents have been engaged in activities that pose a significant threat to public safety in Canada.
My statement on the evidence brought forward by the RCMP against agents of the Government of India:https://t.co/kC6ZXzXXsG
— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) October 15, 2024
At a press conference, Trudeau said, “These activities involved clandestine information gathering, coercive behavior, and targeting South Asian Canadians, including through violence and murder.” He emphasized that such behavior from a foreign government was unacceptable, particularly when carried out on Canadian soil.
India, however, has consistently denied these allegations. Following the latest diplomatic fallout, India criticized Canada’s move, accusing Trudeau of pursuing a “political agenda.” The Indian government also stated that its withdrawal of diplomats was due to a lack of confidence in Canada’s ability to ensure their safety. India’s foreign ministry said, “We have no faith in the current Canadian Government’s commitment to ensure their security.”
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) earlier revealed that Indian agents were implicated in several violent activities against Indian dissidents, including homicides and extortion.
According to the RCMP, the Indian government had used organized crime groups, particularly the Bishnoi syndicate, to target members of the South Asian community in Canada. Brigitte Gauvin, assistant commissioner of the RCMP, said, “What we have seen is the use of organized crime elements, including the Bishnoi group, which we believe is connected to agents of the Indian government.”
Lawrence Bishnoi, named as the head of the criminal syndicate, is currently incarcerated in India on terrorism charges. His lawyer, Rajani, said the Canadian accusations would be investigated, but added that no final charges had yet been framed against Bishnoi in India.
Canada’s foreign ministry issued a statement saying that the decision to expel Indian diplomats was not made lightly. “This decision came after the RCMP gathered clear and concrete evidence identifying six individuals as persons of interest in the Nijjar case,” the ministry said.
India, meanwhile, summoned Canada’s Acting High Commissioner Stewart Wheeler, currently the top Canadian diplomat in India, as tensions continue to escalate. India also issued a deadline for six Canadian diplomats to leave the country by Saturday, marking a major rupture in diplomatic relations.
Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly underscored that her government had requested India to waive the diplomatic immunity of the accused diplomats, allowing Canadian investigators to question them.
However, after India refused to cooperate, Canada felt compelled to expel them. “We’re not seeking diplomatic confrontation with India,” Joly said, “but we will not sit quietly as agents of any country are linked to efforts to threaten, harass, or even kill Canadians.”
The situation has further deteriorated following Canada’s decision last year to withdraw more than 40 diplomats from India after New Delhi demanded a reduction in Ottawa’s diplomatic presence.
Fen Osler Hampson, a professor of international relations at Carleton University in Ottawa, described the current situation as a “major rupture” in Canada-India relations. He added, “It is hard to see at this juncture that a return to normalcy will happen any time in the foreseeable future.”
Canada is home to the largest Sikh population outside India, with the community concentrated primarily in the province of Punjab. The Indian government has long been concerned about pro-Khalistan demonstrations and movements in Canada, which it views as a direct challenge to its sovereignty.
Adding to the complexity of the situation, the U.S. has also alleged Indian involvement in an assassination attempt against a Sikh separatist leader in New York last year.
The U.S. Department of Justice indicted an Indian national, accusing him of working on behalf of an unnamed Indian government official. A committee from the Indian government is set to meet U.S. officials in Washington this week to discuss the matter further.
These allegations of extrajudicial activities by India are now testing its relationships with both Canada and the U.S., at a time when the two countries are seeking closer ties with India to counter China’s growing influence on the global stage.
