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TL;DR:
- Canada expels 6 Indian diplomats, alleging involvement in Sikh leader’s murder and other criminal activities.
- India retaliates by expelling 6 Canadian diplomats and withdrawing its envoy, citing security concerns.
- RCMP accuses India of a broad campaign against dissidents, including homicides and extortion in Canada.
- Diplomatic crisis strains Canada-India relations, with potential implications for Western ties amid China’s rising influence.
Canada has expelled 6 Indian diplomats, including the high commissioner, accusing them of involvement in the murder of a Sikh separatist leader and other criminal activities on Canadian soil. The move, announced on October 15, 2024, marks a significant deterioration in relations between the two Commonwealth countries.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stated that the government has “clear and compelling evidence” linking agents of the Indian government to activities that pose a significant threat to public safety. These activities allegedly include clandestine information gathering, coercive behavior, targeting South Asian Canadians, and involvement in over a dozen threatening and violent acts, including murder.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) revealed that the Indian government had undertaken a broad campaign against Indian dissidents in Canada, including homicides and extortion. The RCMP also accused India of using organized crime to target the South Asian community and interfere in democratic processes.
“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 individuals as persons of interest in the Nijjar case,” the Canadian foreign ministry said in a statement.
The expulsions are linked to the assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Sikh separatist leader, on Canadian territory in June 2023. Trudeau had previously alleged Indian involvement in Nijjar’s murder, a claim that India has consistently denied.
In a swift retaliation, India ordered the expulsion of six high-ranking Canadian diplomats, including the acting high commissioner. The Indian government also announced the withdrawal of its envoy from Canada, citing concerns over the safety of its diplomatic staff.
“We have no faith in the current Canadian Government’s commitment to ensure their security. Therefore, the Government of India has decided to withdraw the High Commissioner and other targeted diplomats and officials,” India’s foreign ministry stated.
Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly emphasized that while Canada is not seeking diplomatic confrontation, it will not remain silent in the face of threats to its citizens. “We will not sit quietly as agents of any country are linked to efforts to threaten, harass or even kill Canadians,” Joly declared.
This diplomatic crisis follows a previous reduction in Canada’s diplomatic presence in India in October 2023, when over 40 Canadian diplomats were withdrawn at New Delhi’s request.
The situation has broader implications, as the United States has also alleged Indian involvement in an attempted assassination plot against another Sikh separatist leader in New York last year. These accusations have strained India’s relationships with Western countries as they seek to forge deeper ties to counter China’s rising global influence.
As tensions continue to escalate, experts predict a prolonged period of strained relations between Canada and India. Fen Osler Hampson, a professor of international relations at Ottawa’s Carleton University, described the situation as a “major rupture” in the relationship, expressing doubt about a quick return to normalcy.
The unfolding diplomatic crisis underscores the complex interplay of international relations, national security concerns, and the challenges posed by diaspora politics in an increasingly interconnected world.
