Embattled Trudeau fuels India-Canada tension further over Nijjar killing as countries expel diplomats

Diplomatic ties between India and Canada, which soured after the 2023 killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar on Canadian soil, touched a new low after both the nations expelled each other’s ambassador on Monday.  

Following the diplomatic expulsions, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau branded India actions as “unacceptable” and accused New Delhi of making a “fundamental error”.    

Both the countries have been trading barbs since Trudeau claimed last year that there were “credible allegations” linking Indian intelligence services to the killing of the Canadian citizen Nijjar, who immigrated to Canada in 1997 and became a citizen in 2015.  

Nijjar had advocated for a separate Sikh state, known as Khalistan, carved out of India. He had been wanted by Indian authorities for alleged terrorism and conspiracy to commit murder.

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‘India made a fundamental error’

“The government of India made a fundamental error in thinking that they could engage in supporting criminal activity against Canadians here on Canadian soil, whether it be murders or extortion or other violent acts,” Trudeau said, hours after the expulsions were announced.

“We will never tolerate the involvement of a foreign government threatening and killing Canadian citizens on Canadian soil, a deeply unacceptable violation of Canada’s sovereignty and of international law,” he further said.

Why did India & Canada expel each other’s ambassador?

The expulsions came after New Delhi said its envoy had been named among “persons of interest” following the killing of Nijjar.

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India “decided to expel” Ottawa’s acting High Commissioner Stewart Wheeler, his deputy and four first secretaries, ordering they leave before midnight on Sunday.

In return, Ottawa announced similar measures, with Canadian police saying they had “evidence pertaining to agents of the government of India’s involvement in serious criminal activity” in the country.

Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly claimed that India had refused to cooperate in the investigation, or to lift diplomatic immunity for its envoys.

“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,” Joly said in a statement, referring to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

Four Indian nationals have been arrested in connection with Nijjar’s murder, which took place in June 2023 in the parking lot of a Sikh temple in Vancouver.  

Accusations against Indian envoy ’ludicrous’ 

Earlier, New Delhi had said it had “received a diplomatic communication from Canada suggesting that the Indian High Commissioner and other diplomats are persons of interest” in the ongoing investigation.

It further said their envoy, Sanjay Kumar Verma, a former ambassador to Japan and Sudan, was a respected career diplomat and that the accusations were “ludicrous”.

The Ministry of External Affairs said that Verma has been asked to return home and it had “no faith” in the Canadian government’s commitment to ensuring the six expelled diplomats’ security.

Trudeau’s allegations ‘preposterous’

On Monday, India termed allegations it was connected to Nijjar killing “preposterous” and a “strategy of smearing India for political gains."

India reserves right to take further steps

Late last year, the Indian government had briefly curbed visas for Canadians and forced Ottawa to withdraw diplomats. On Monday (October 14) it warned of further action.

“India reserves the right to take further steps in response to the Trudeau Government’s support for extremism, violence and separatism against India,” the foreign ministry said.

The MEA also summoned Canadian envoy Wheeler, who claimed that Ottawa had given India the evidence it had demanded.

“Canada has provided credible, irrefutable evidence of ties between agents of the Government of India and the murder of a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil,” Wheeler told reporters after leaving the ministry.

“It is in the interest of both our countries and the peoples of our countries to get to the bottom of this,” Wheeler further said.  

With inputs from AFP.