The conflict between Canada and India has escalated following the expulsion of six diplomats from each nation amidst controversies stemming from the murder of a Sikh separatist leader in British Columbia the previous year. The expelled diplomats, sacked late Monday, included Sanjay Verma, India’s chief diplomat to Ottawa, and Stewart Wheeler, the stand-in main diplomat for Canada in New Delhi.
India claimed to have “recalled” its diplomats, following the Canadian demand for removal of their diplomatic immunity as they were viewed as “persons of interest” by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). The RCMP sought their presence for questioning, including that of Mr Verma, in connection to the ongoing investigation.
The case under consideration is the assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a 45-year-old Sikh separatist leader and a Canadian citizen. Nijjar was murdered in a Surrey car park, a suburb of Vancouver in late June 2023 by unidentified shooters. Known for his advocacy for an independent Sikh homeland, Khalistan, in Punjab, India, Nijjar was also targeted by the Indian authorities due to his alleged participation in multiple acts of violence and killings in India.
The Canadian leader, Justin Trudeau, stated on Monday in Ottawa that the Canadian authorities hold “persuasive and undeniable proof” that Indian government operatives had partaken and are persistently participating in actions that significantly threaten public security in Canada. The intimidation, infiltration techniques, and targeting of Canadian residents of South Asian descent are a part of this illicit conduct, as are their involvement in violent activities including murder.
As an indirect reference to the shooting of Mr Nijjar, Trudeau deemed such activities unequivocally “unacceptable”. According to Mr Trudeau, allegations of the Indian government’s involvement in the assassination of Mr Nijjar were reportedly founded on Canadian intelligence. This instigated the withdrawal of approximately 40 Canadian diplomats from India by New Delhi’s demand, adversely influencing visa and consular services.
Trudeau affirmatively reiterated Canada’s possession of “strong and undeniable evidence of the involvement of Indian government agents in activities that constitute a serious threat to public safety” at a press meeting on Monday.
The Indian government refuted all claims as “unfounded” and “lacking evidence”, attributing the assertions to the sway held over the Trudeau-led Liberal Party by Sikh separatist lobbyists, who were fundamental to the party’s continued tenure. The spokesman for India’s foreign ministry expressed a lack of trust in the Canadian government’s pledge to maintain the safety of Indian diplomats in Ottawa, leading to their withdrawal. Simultaneously, the United States, currently working alongside Canada on the Nijjar murder investigation and associated Indian operations, alleged involvement of Indian government officials in an assassination attempt on a separate Sikh separatist leader in New York the previous year.