Canada’s Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, has accused India of making a “grave error” as the diplomatic fallout between the two nations deepened following the murder of Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in 2023. Both countries have expelled each other’s top diplomats, signaling an alarming escalation in tensions.
During a press briefing in Ottawa, Trudeau criticized India’s actions as “unacceptable” in response to the diplomatic tit-for-tat that unfolded Monday. The row, which started after Nijjar’s killing, saw both nations remove their ambassadors and five other key diplomatic figures.
Trudeau has previously claimed there were “credible allegations” linking India’s intelligence services to Nijjar’s murder. Since then, the two countries have exchanged accusations, culminating in this wave of expulsions.
“The government of India made a fundamental error in thinking they could engage in supporting criminal activity against Canadians on Canadian soil, whether it be murders, extortion, or other violent acts,” Trudeau told reporters shortly after the announcements were made.
He stressed that Canada would never accept foreign governments threatening or harming its citizens, calling such actions “a violation of Canada’s sovereignty and international law.”
The expulsions follow India’s decision to name its envoy as a “person of interest” in the Nijjar investigation. In response, New Delhi ordered Canada’s acting High Commissioner Stewart Wheeler, his deputy, and four senior diplomats to leave by Sunday night.
In retaliation, Ottawa took similar steps, with Canadian authorities stating they had evidence implicating Indian agents in criminal activities within Canada.
Foreign Minister Melanie Joly confirmed that India refused to cooperate in the investigation or waive diplomatic immunity for its representatives. She said the decision to expel Indian diplomats came only after the RCMP gathered “clear and concrete evidence” identifying several individuals linked to Nijjar’s killing.
Nijjar, a Canadian citizen since 2015, was a vocal advocate for an independent Sikh state called Khalistan, which would be carved out of India. Indian authorities had sought him for alleged terrorism and conspiracy to commit murder. His death, in June 2023, occurred outside a Sikh temple in Vancouver, with four Indian nationals arrested in connection to the crime.
