On Monday, Canada took the significant step of expelling six Indian diplomats, including the high commissioner. This action is connected to the murder of a Sikh separatist leader and raises allegations of a wider campaign to target Indian dissidents residing in Canada.
Earlier today, India took decisive action by ordering the expulsion of six senior Canadian diplomats, including the acting high commissioner. Additionally, India announced the withdrawal of its envoy from Canada, a move that stands in stark contrast to Canada’s claims regarding the expulsion.
The ongoing diplomatic dispute marks a significant decline in the relationship between the two Commonwealth nations. Relations have deteriorated following Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau‘s assertion last year that he possessed evidence connecting Indian agents to the assassination of Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar on Canadian soil.
During a recent news conference, Trudeau stated that the government possesses “clear and compelling evidence”, indicating that agents of the Indian government have been involved in activities that present a serious threat to public safety and continue to do so.
These activities encompassed secretive information collection methods, coercive actions, the targeting of South Asian Canadians, and participation in more than a dozen threatening and violent incidents, including murder, he stated.
“This situation is unacceptable,” he stated, emphasizing that India had made a grave mistake by involving itself in criminal activities within Canada.
India has consistently refuted the allegations made by Trudeau. On Monday, the response to Canada’s inquiry was one of dismissal, with accusations directed at Trudeau for allegedly advancing a “political agenda.”
In a recent news conference, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police revealed that the Indian government has launched an extensive campaign targeting Indian dissidents, which includes allegations of homicides and extortion. Authorities reported that organized crime has been employed to specifically target the South Asian community in Canada, as well as to disrupt democratic processes.
Brigitte Gauvin, assistant commissioner of the RCMP, stated, “What we have seen is…the use of organized crime elements,” specifically identifying “the Bishnoi group.”
The group, she stated, “we believe…is connected to the agents of the Government of India.”
The National Investigation Agency of India has identified Lawrence Bishnoi as the leader of a structured criminal organization. A man is currently incarcerated in a western Indian jail as he awaits trial on charges related to terrorism.
Bishnoi’s lawyer, known simply as Rajani, addressed the allegations from Canada, stating, “This matter will be investigated; the investigation agencies will look into it.” All that exists will come to light.
In response to the charges brought by the NIA, she stated that investigations are ongoing and that final charges have yet to be established.
Canada’s foreign ministry stated that the decision to expel these individuals was reached after careful deliberation and only following the collection of substantial, clear, and concrete evidence by the RCMP, which identified six individuals as persons of interest in the Najjar case.
India announced the withdrawal of its diplomats from Canada, citing concerns over the assurance of their safety.
The current Canadian Government’s commitment to ensuring security has been met with scepticism. The Government of India has announced its decision to withdraw the High Commissioner along with other targeted diplomats and officials, according to a statement from India’s foreign ministry.
India has announced that it has requested the departure of six Canadian diplomats by Saturday. The ministry announced that it had called in Acting High Commissioner in India, Stewart Wheeler, who serves as Canada’s leading diplomat in the South Asian nation.
Significant Break
Canada’s Foreign Minister Melanie Joly announced that the government has formally requested India to lift the diplomatic immunity of six diplomats. This move aims to allow Canadian investigative agencies to question them in connection with allegations of criminal activity.
Due to India’s lack of cooperation, the decision was made to expel the diplomats.
“We are not looking for a diplomatic confrontation with India,” she stated. “We will not remain passive while agents from any nation are associated with attempts to threaten, harass, or even take the lives of Canadians.”
In October 2023, Canada removed over 40 diplomats from India following a request from New Delhi for Ottawa to scale back its diplomatic representation.
“We have transitioned from a rift to a significant rupture in our relationship with India,” stated Fen Osler Hampson, a professor of international relations at Carleton University in Ottawa, during a telephone interview. “At this point, it is difficult to envision a return to normalcy occurring in the near future.”
Canada boasts the largest Sikh population outside of Punjab, and recent demonstrations have drawn the ire of the Indian government.
The United States has accused Indian agents of being involved in an attempted assassination plot targeting a Sikh separatist leader in New York last year. Additionally, it has announced the indictment of an Indian national who was allegedly acting under the direction of an unnamed official from the Indian government.
This week, a committee from the Indian government will convene with U.S. officials in Washington to discuss India’s involvement in a thwarted murder plot, according to a statement from the State Department released on Monday.
Accusations surrounding assassination plots targeting Sikh separatist leaders in Canada and the U.S. have strained their diplomatic relations with India as efforts to strengthen ties with the nation intensify in response to China’s growing global dominance.