Tensions between India and Canada have further intensified as both nations expelled top diplomats in a deepening row over the assassination of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar, killed on Canadian soil last year. The move comes after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused Indian agents of involvement in a “campaign of violence” against dissidents in Canada, sparking a wave of retaliatory actions between the two countries.
Trudeau’s allegations stem from an investigation by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), which uncovered what he called “clear and compelling evidence” that Indian government agents had engaged in criminal activities threatening public safety. “The evidence brought to light by the RCMP cannot be ignored,” said Trudeau. “It leads to one conclusion: it is necessary to disrupt the criminal activities that continue to pose a threat to public safety in Canada,” he added.
The row centers on the murder of Nijjar, a prominent pro-Khalistan activist, who was shot outside a Sikh temple in Surrey, British Columbia, in June 2023. Nijjar’s vocal support for the Khalistan movement, which seeks a separate homeland for Sikhs in India, had made him a target of India’s government, which has labeled him a terrorist—a charge his supporters fiercely dispute.
Delhi has strongly denied the accusations, dismissing them as “preposterous” and accusing Trudeau of political maneuvering to gain favor with Canada’s influential Sikh community. India’s foreign ministry issued a sharp statement, said, “The aspersions cast on our diplomats are ludicrous and deserve to be treated with contempt.”
In response to Canada’s expulsion of six Indian diplomats, India retaliated by demanding the departure of six Canadian envoys, including Acting High Commissioner Stewart Ross Wheeler. “We have no faith in the current Canadian government’s commitment to ensure their security,” India’s foreign ministry stated, explaining its decision to withdraw its top diplomats.
Amid escalating tensions, the RCMP revealed it had taken the rare step of publicly disclosing information due to a “significant threat to public safety,” according to Commissioner Mike Duheme. The police noted over a dozen credible threats specifically targeting members of the pro-Khalistan movement. “We reached a point where we felt it was imperative to confront the government of India,” Duheme said, as the investigation widened.
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