Canada accuses India of involvement in the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar last June and expelled an Indian diplomat. In response, India also ordered a senior Canadian diplomat to leave the country.
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Climbing between Ottawa and New Delhi. India announced that it had ordered a high-ranking Canadian diplomat to leave the country on Tuesday, September 19, just hours after Ottawa’s expulsion of an Indian diplomat. The Canadian High Commissioner to India “been asked to leave India within the next five days”saidhe Indian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Tensions between the two countries arose with the assassination of a Sikh leader in western Canada last June. Justin Trudeau, the Canadian Prime Minister, estimated on Monday that there were “credible evidence of a possible link between agents of the Government of India and the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canadian citizen”.
“The involvement of any foreign government in the murder of a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil constitutes an unacceptable violation of our sovereignty”
Justin Trudeau, Canadian Prime Ministerin a speech
Justin Trudeau asked “with the greatest firmness” the Indian government to cooperate in clarifying this matter.
Wanted for suspected acts of terrorism
“Allegations of Indian government involvement in any act of violence in Canada are absurd”reacted Tuesday morning the Indian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a press release. “We are a democratic state with a strong commitment to the rule of law”, he added. These accusations “aim to divert attention from Khalistani terrorists and extremists, who have taken refuge in Canada and continue to threaten the sovereignty and territorial integrity of India”added the Indian ministry.
Hardeep Singh Nijjar was wanted by Indian authorities for alleged acts of terrorism and conspiracy to commit murder. He campaigned for the creation of a Sikh state known as Khalistan. Accusations that he denied. Since this murder, tension rose between Ottawa and New Delhi. The Indian government accuses the Trudeau government of turning a blind eye to the activities of radical Sikh nationalists. Ottawa recently suspended negotiations for a free trade agreement with India and the Minister of Commerce last week canceled a planned trip to the country in October.