On Monday, Canada expelled six Indian diplomats, including the high commissioner, claiming that they were involved in the assassination of ...
On Monday, Canada expelled six Indian diplomats, including the high commissioner, claiming that they were involved in the assassination of a Sikh separatist leader and a broader effort to target Indian dissidents in Canada.
Prior in the day, India fought back by requesting the removal of six high-positioning Canadian negotiators including the acting high chief and said it had removed its emissary from Canada, going against Canada's assertion of ejection.
The strategic column addresses a significant weakening of relations between the two Republic nations. Since Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stated last year that he had evidence linking Indian agents to the assassination of Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar on Canadian soil, ties have become frayed.
Trudeau stated at a news conference that the government now has "clear and compelling evidence that agents of the government of India have engaged in and continue to engage in activities that pose a significant threat to public safety."
He claimed that these activities included the use of coercive behavior, the targeting of South Asian Canadians, and more than a dozen threatening and violent acts, including murder. They also involved clandestine methods for gathering information.
"This is unsatisfactory," he said, adding that India had perpetrated a crucial mistake by taking part in crimes in Canada.
India has long denied Trudeau's allegations. It accused Trudeau of pursuing a "political agenda" and rejected Canada's move regarding the inquiry on Monday.
In a previous news conference, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police stated that the Indian government had launched a comprehensive campaign against Indian dissidents that included extortion and homicide. According to police, it had also spied on the South Asian community in Canada through organized crime and hampered democratic processes.
The foreign ministry stated in a statement, "The decision to expel these individuals was made with great consideration and only after the RCMP gathered ample, clear, and concrete evidence which identified six persons of interest in the Nijjar case."
India claimed to have requested the departure of six Canadian diplomats by Saturday. In addition, the ministry stated that Acting High Commissioner in India Stewart Wheeler, who is currently Canada's top diplomat in the South Asian nation, had been summoned.
India claimed that it was expelling the diplomats because it was uncertain whether their safety could be ensured.
"We have no confidence in the current Canadian government's commitment to their safety." According to a statement released by India's foreign ministry, "the Government of India has decided to withdraw the High Commissioner and other targeted diplomats and officials."
Melanie Joly, the Canadian foreign minister, said that the government had asked India to remove the diplomatic immunity of six diplomats so that Canadian investigators could question them about the alleged criminal activity.
Yet, since India didn't co-work, it needed to oust the representatives.
She stated, "We're not seeking diplomatic confrontation with India." However, we will not remain silent while any nation's agents are connected to efforts to harass, threaten, or even kill Canadians."
After New Delhi requested that Ottawa reduce its diplomatic presence in India, Canada withdrew more than 40 diplomats from the country in October 2023.
"We have gone from a crack to a significant break in the relationship with India," Fen Osler Hampson, teacher of worldwide relations at Ottawa's Carleton College said in a phone interview. " It's hard to imagine that things will get back to normal anytime soon at this point.
The United States has also alleged that Indian agents were involved in an attempted assassination plot against another Sikh separatist leader in New York last year and said it had indicted an Indian national working at the behest of an unnamed Indian government official. Canada has the highest population of Sikhs outside of their home state of Punjab, and demonstrations in recent years have irked India's government.
The State Department announced on Monday that a committee of the Indian government that is looking into Indian involvement in the foiled murder plot will meet with American officials this week in Washington.
Canada and the United States' claims of plots to kill Sikh separatist leaders have put their relationship with India in jeopardy as they try to strengthen ties with India to counter China's growing global influence.
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