ISLAMABAD - Diplomatic tensions between Canada and India have spiralled out of control, resulting in the mutual expulsion of senior diplomats. The charges involve activities incompatible with their diplomatic status.
Canadian security agencies are actively investigating credible allegations linking Indian government agents to the assassination of Canadian citizen Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a case brought to the forefront by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly announced the immediate expulsion of the Indian diplomat based in Ottawa, who served as the cover for the Station Chief of India’s intelligence agency, the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW).
Nijjar, a leader in the Khalistan movement and Sikh for Justice, was fatally shot in broad daylight in Vancouver in June.
couver, home to a large Sikh migrant population from Indian Punjab, saw a record turnout in a recent referendum for an independent Khalistan from India, with over 130,000 Sikh participants. Gurpatwant Singh Pannu, leader of the Sikh for Justice movement, has boldly accused Indian diplomats of involvement in Nijjar’s assassination. Pannu emphasizes the international exposure of alleged Indian intelligence agency conspiracy. Pannu further suggested that the expulsion of the senior diplomat might be followed by the removal of Indian High Commissioner to Canada, Sanjay Verma, implicating his knowledge of the plot. Amidst these developments, Canada’s Foreign Minister Melanie Joly raised concerns over the potential violation of Canadian sovereignty if India’s intelligence agencies were found to be responsible for an assassination on Canadian soil. Pannu, the founder of the Khalistan movement, vows Sikh retaliation against India’s RAW intelligence. He asserts their commitment to international law and peaceful means in the pursuit of justice for Nijjar’s assassination, stressing that their goal is freedom through a Khalistan movement referendum. Pannu emphasizes that Sikhs are freedom fighters, not terrorists, advocating for the people of Indian Punjab who seek independence from the Indian government. He notes that over a million Sikhs have already voted in favour of the Khalistan movement referendum. In a retaliatory move, the Indian government expelled a senior Canadian diplomat in New Delhi in response to the Ottawa expulsion. A statement from the Indian Ministry of External Affairs confirmed the decision, further complicating the strained diplomatic relations between the two nations.