Justin Trudeau accused the Indian government of “coercive behaviour and threats and violent acts”
After a Khalistani terrorist was killed on Tuesday, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused the Indian government of “coercive behaviour and threatening and violent acts” as both nations ordered tit-for-tat expulsions of ambassadors. At a news conference, Mr. Trudeau said that New Delhi’s “fundamental error” was “unacceptable” as emotions over the 2023 murder of Canadian citizen Hardeep Singh Nijjar reached all-time highs.
Mr. Trudeau repeated the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) in stating that “agents of the Government of India have engaged in, and continue to engage in, activities that pose a significant threat to public safety” and called the expulsion “additional steps to protect Canadians”.
Mr. Trudeau said that “extrajudicial operations abroad will henceforth be unequivocally aligned with international law,” and he encouraged India to assist with the inquiry and acknowledge the evidence that has been supplied in the murder case so far.
India has always refuted the accusations and maintained that Canada has not provided any supporting documentation.
In retaliation, New Delhi yesterday labeled Canada’s accusations “preposterous” and a “strategy of smearing India for political gains” for pursuing its diplomats as “persons of interest” in its inquiry. India has maintained that the primary concern has been Canada’s allowance of pro-Khalistani groups to operate with impunity from Canadian land.
Following New Delhi’s announcement that its ambassador had been identified among “persons of interest” in Nijjar’s murder, both India and Canada removed each other’s ambassadors along with five other senior diplomats. While Ottawa claimed to have delivered notices of expulsion to New Delhi’s six diplomats, New Delhi announced its intention to remove them from Canada.
The expulsions represent a significant uptick in tensions, even though they have been simmering since the 2023 murder when Trudeau said there were “credible allegations” tying Indian intelligence agencies to the killing.
Declaring that they must go by Sunday midnight, India “decided to expel” acting High Commissioner Stewart Wheeler, his deputy, and four first secretaries from Ottawa.
In retaliation, Ottawa declared similar actions, citing “evidence pertaining to agents of the government of India’s involvement in serious criminal activity” in Canada, according to Canadian police. According to Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly, India has declined to remove its envoys’ diplomatic immunity and to assist with the probe.
India denied the assertion yesterday and said, “Since Prime Minister Trudeau made certain allegations in September 2023, the Canadian Government has not shared a shred of evidence with the Government of India, despite many requests from our side.”
Nijjar has argued for the creation of Khalistan, a distinct Sikh state, to be split off from India. Nijjar emigrated to Canada in 1997 and was granted citizenship in 2015. Indian officials have been looking for him on suspicion of terrorism and murderous plot. In relation to the June 2023 murder of Nijjar, which happened in the Vancouver parking lot of a Sikh temple, four Indian nationals have been taken into custody.
