Canada and India have engaged in a major diplomatic row, with Canada expelling six Indian diplomats, including the high commissioner, for their alleged involvement in targeting Indian dissidents in Canada, including the murder of a Sikh separatist leader. India retaliated by expelling six Canadian diplomats and withdrawing its envoy from Canada.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stated that there was evidence linking Indian agents to criminal activities, including covert surveillance, coercive behavior, and violent acts in Canada. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police also cited India’s broad campaign against Indian dissidents, including homicides and extortion.
India denied the accusations, dismissing Canada’s claims as part of a political agenda. Canada requested India to remove the diplomatic immunity of the expelled diplomats for questioning, but India did not cooperate, leading to their expulsion.
The relationship between Canada and India has deteriorated significantly, with experts indicating that a return to normalcy may not happen anytime soon. The accusations of Indian involvement in assassination plots against Sikh separatist leaders in Canada and the U.S. have further strained the relationship, as both countries aim to counter China’s rising global influence.
The U.S. has also alleged Indian involvement in an attempted assassination plot against a Sikh separatist leader in New York and has indicted an Indian national working at the behest of an Indian government official. An Indian government committee investigating these claims will meet U.S. officials in Washington to address the situation.
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