The diplomatic row between India and Canada has escalated to a new level, bringing relations between New Delhi and Ottawa to an all-time low.
Following Canada's accusations against India regarding criminal activity in the commonwealth country and the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, India recalled the Indian High Commissioner and other senior diplomats.
However, shortly after this, the Acting Canadian High Commissioner Stewart Wheeler was summoned by the Ministry of External Affairs. After the summons, Wheeler stated that all evidence has been shared with India regarding the allegations against it.
After Wheeler's statement to the press, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and its commissioner Mike Duhume conducted a press conference, where it was pointed out that India had played a significant role in Nijjar's death as well as targeting the South Asian community in Canada.
Following RCMP's statement on the accusations against India, MEA announced the expulsion of six Canadian diplomats - including Acting High Commissioner Wheeler and the Deputy High Commissioner. In a tit-for-tat move, Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly announced the expulsion of six Indian diplomats.
"Keeping Canadians safe is the fundamental job of the Canadian government. 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," said Minister Joly.
As India continues to deny the accusations against it, the Canadian government has continued to push for collaboration on the issue in order tor resolve the ties between the two countries.
India-Canada Diplomatic Row Escalates | What We Know
Trudeau Breaks Silence
Following the tit-for-tat expulsion of Indian and Canadian diplomats, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau broke his silence on the downgrading of ties and stated that "agents of the Government of India have engaged in, and continue to engage in, activities that pose a significant threat to public safety."
Refering to RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme's press conference, Trudeau listed the accusations against the Indian government which include "clandestine information gathering techniques, coercive behaviour targeting South Asian Canadians, and involvement in over a dozen threatening and violent acts, including murder."
During a press conference, Trudeau also circled back to the MEA's strong-worded statement which targeted the Prime Minister's "hostility towards India".
Referring to this, Trudeau stated that the Indian government has continued to "deny, to obfuscate, to attack me personally and the integrity of the government of Canada and its officials and its police agencies".
Following the downgrade of ties, Canada has also informed its Five Eyes allies regarding the situation with India. Five Eyes is an intelligence alliance comprising of Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the United States and the United Kingdom.
Trudeau has also called UK PM Keir Starmer to discuss the "recent developments related to a targeted campaign against Canadian citizens by agents linked to the government of India".
Nijjar Killing Invesitgation Underway
Hardeep Singh Niijar, a Canadian Sikh and known Khalistan sepratist, was gunned down outside a gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia on June 18, 2023. Following his death, Khalistan supporters from the Khalistan Tiger Force and other factions, accused the Indian government and have targeted Indian diplomats across Canada, the US and the UK.
While New Delhi has denied its role in the killing of the India-government designated terrorist, Canada has stated and now laid out the credible allegations against India.
In May 2024, the Canadian police made four arrests regarding the case. Further comment from the RCMP suggests that the four accused were agents planted by the Indian government for the assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
Amid the investigation, several Indian diplomats, including High Commissioner Sanjay Kumar Verma were named as "persons of interest" in the case, which escalated tensions between New Delhi and Ottawa.
RCMP Lays Out Proof Against India
During its press conference, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police revealed that a February 2204 task force found that the Indian government has been involved and "interfering in domestic affairs" through agents on Canadian soil.
RCMP further stated that it has gathered evidence against India which regarding four issues -
Violent extremism impacting both countries;
Links tying agents of the Government of India (GOI) to homicides and violent acts;
The use of organized crime to create a perception of an unsafe environment targeting the South Asian Community in Canada; and
Interference into democratic processes.
Canadian Police accused Indian diplomats of "leveraging their heir official positions to engage in clandestine activities".
Reference To Lawrence Bishnoi Gang
Furthermore, amid the Nijjar investigation, Canada also referred to the Lawrence Bishnoi Gang, which also operates from Canada.
During the press conference, RCMP officials were asked if members of the Sikh community were particularly being targeted by Indian agents.
In response to this, Brigitte Gauvin, Assistant Commissioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police stated that the South Asian community has been targeted by Indian agents, "specifically the pro-Khalistani elements in Canada".
"What we have seen is, from an RCMP perspective, they use organised crime elements. It has been publicly attributed and claimed by one organised crime group in particular - Bishnoi Group. We believe that the group is connected to agents of the Government of India," said Gauvin.
This reference to Lawrence Bishnoi comes amid his alleged involvement in the murder of NCP leader and politician Baba Siddique on Saturday.
India and Canada's diplomatic row escalated in September 2023, after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau publicly accused the Indian government of playing a role in the assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
Ahead of the shocking allegations from Trudeau, tensions had been high between Delhi and Ottawa due to the targeting of Indian diplomats in Canada and various attempts to attack the High Commission and Consulates across Canada.
These tensions were also visible during the G20 Summit 2023 in New Delhi where Prime Minister Trudeau was visibly snubbed and also allegedly skipped the leader's dinner on Day one.
