India and Canada have escalated their diplomatic dispute, expelling top envoys and other diplomats amid tensions over the 2022 assassination of a Sikh separatist leader on Canadian soil.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stated that his government acted after police began investigating credible allegations that Indian agents were involved in the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a prominent supporter of the pro-Khalistan movement.
Canadian authorities have accused Indian agents of being involved in multiple offenses, including homicides, extortion, and violent acts targeting advocates of the Khalistan movement, which seeks an independent Sikh homeland in India.
India has dismissed these claims as “absurd,” with Delhi accusing Trudeau of catering to Canada’s sizeable Sikh population for political purposes.
Speaking to the media on live television on Monday, Trudeau said India had made a “fundamental error” in supporting “criminal” acts in Canada and his government had to act on the latest findings.
“The evidence brought to light by the RCMP [Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Canada’s national police service] cannot be ignored,” the prime minister said.
“It leads to one conclusion, it is necessary to disrupt the criminal activities that continue to pose a threat to public safety in Canada. That is why we acted.”
India has strongly denied accusations of involvement in the assassination of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar, insisting that Canada has provided no evidence to back its claims.
Tensions between the two countries have worsened since Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stated that his government had credible evidence linking Indian agents to Nijjar’s killing.
The diplomatic row has deepened, with India demanding that Canada withdraw dozens of its diplomatic staff and suspending visa services for Canadian citizens.
In a statement issued on Monday, India’s foreign ministry condemned Canada’s allegations as being influenced by Sikh separatist groups. Later that day, India announced that six Canadian diplomats, including acting High Commissioner Stewart Ross Wheeler, had been ordered to leave the country by 19 October.
Earlier on Monday, Canadian police revealed that they had taken the rare step of publicly sharing details about an ongoing investigation due to a “significant threat to public safety.”
Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Commissioner Mike Duheme told reporters at a news conference that there had been “more than a dozen credible and imminent threats to life,” specifically targeting members of the pro-Khalistan movement.
He emphasized that the seriousness of these threats necessitated the RCMP’s decision to make the information public.
Officials have reported that a dozen Indian agents were allegedly involved in criminal activities, though they did not confirm whether these agents were directly linked to the June 2023 murder of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
Nijjar was shot dead by two masked gunmen outside the Sikh temple he led in Surrey, British Columbia. A vocal advocate of the Khalistan movement, which seeks a separate Sikh homeland, Nijjar had actively campaigned for the cause.
India had previously labeled Nijjar a terrorist, accusing him of leading a militant separatist group, charges his supporters rejected as baseless. Canadian police described his killing as a “targeted attack.”
In September 2023, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau informed Canada’s parliament that allegations of Indian involvement in Nijjar’s assassination were based on Canadian intelligence, calling the act a violation of the country’s sovereignty.
Tensions between India and Canada appeared to ease slightly when India resumed visa processing in October 2023. However, Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly recently described relations as “tense” and “very difficult,” warning of a continued threat of similar killings on Canadian soil.
Canada is home to the largest Sikh community outside of India.
