Topline
Canada expelled India’s High Commissioner and five other top diplomats from the country after again accusing India of targeting Sikh separatists living in Canada, allegations the Indian government dismissed as “preposterous” as it also expelled Canadian diplomats from New Delhi amid renewed tensions over the issue.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused the Indian government of supporting criminal activity … [+]
Key Facts
The expulsions came after the Royal Canadian Mounted Police alleged Indian government agents have been linked to “serious criminal activity” in Canada, including “homicides…violent acts” and efforts to interfere in Canada’s democratic processes.
The RCMP said its investigation found Indian agents were relying on organized crime elements—namely the “Bishnoi group” —to carry out the campaign.
The Bishnoi group is a criminal entity led by Indian gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, who is currently jailed in India on terror and drug smuggling charges.
Canada’s Foreign Minister Melany Joly said the RCMP had gathered “ample, clear and concrete evidence which identified six individuals as persons of interest” in the case involving the assassination of a Sikh separatist leader on Canadian soil last year.
The foreign minister said the Canadian government informed India about this matter and urged it to “waive diplomatic and consular immunities” for the six diplomats and cooperate in the investigation—which New Delhi refused.
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Who Was Hardeep Nijjar And Why Was He Assassinated?
Tensions between the two countries stem from the killing of Sikh leader and Canadian citizen Hardeep Singh Nijjar in June last year. Nijjar was gunned down by two masked gunmen outside a Sikh temple in Surrey, British Columbia. Born in India, Nijjar immigrated to Canada in the 1990s. He had been labeled a “terrorist” by New Delhi for supporting the separatist Khalistan movement—which calls for the creation of an independent homeland for Sikhs carved from India’s territory.
Key Background
Last year, Trudeau informed the Canadian parliament that his government was pursuing “credible allegations” linking Nijjar’s murder to “agents of the government of India.” Trudeau’s allegations sparked anger from the Indian government, which dismissed Trudeau’s allegations as “absurd and motivated.” In response to the allegation, India removed more than 40 Canadian diplomats. While denying the allegations, the Indian government described Nijjar as a terrorist and criticized the Canadian government for failing to crack down on anti-India separatist groups in the country. Canada’s allegations against India at the time were reportedly based on evidence provided by a fellow member of the so-called Five Eyes intelligence-sharing alliance—which is made up of the U.S., the U.K., Canada, Australia and New Zealand. In May, Canadian police said they arrested three Indian nationals in connection with Nijjar’s killing and were “investigating if there are any ties to the government of India.”
How Do India-Canada Tensions Affect U.s. Diplomacy?
Tensions between India and Canada are a delicate diplomatic matter for the U.S., which is trying to court New Delhi as a key partner and geopolitical counterweight to China in the Indo-Pacific region. Last year, Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged India to cooperate with Canada’s investigation into Nijjar’s death, but stopped short of directly condemning New Delhi. Last year, Trudeau said the U.S. government was backing Canada on the issue and “speaking to the Indian government.”
Crucial Quote
“I think it is obvious that 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, it is absolutely unacceptable,” Trudeau said during a press conference on Monday.
Chief Critic
India’s foreign Ministry responded to the allegations by accusing Trudeau of engaging in “vote bank politics”—a phrase used in Indian politics to describe efforts to gin up electoral support from minority groups. “Since Prime Minister Trudeau made certain allegations in September 2023, the Canadian Government has not shared a shred of evidence with the Government of India, despite many requests from our side…This leaves little doubt that on the pretext of an investigation, there is a deliberate strategy of smearing India for political gains.” The ministry also accused Trudeau’s government of providing space to “violent extremists and terrorists to harass, threaten and intimidate Indian diplomats and community leaders in Canada.”
Tangent
The U.S. Justice Department charged Indian national Nikhil Gupta last November for allegedly being involved in a foiled assassination plot targeting American Sikh political activist and lawyer Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. The DOJ alleged the assassination attempt was carried out on the instruction of an Indian government official. Court documents filed by the DOJ claim Gupta agreed to a $100,000 deal to hire a hitman to carry out the killing in New York City. Gupta was arrested in the Czech Republic in late June and extradited to the U.S. Like Nijjar, Pannum is also a prominent leader of the Khalistan movement and was designated a terrorist by India in July 2020. In a press release on Monday night, the State Department said an Indian Enquiry Committee set up to investigate the assassination attempt will be traveling to Washington D.C. on Tuesday to discuss the case and receive updates from U.S. officials.
Further Reading
Indian government officials linked to homicides, extortions and coercion in Canada, pose threat to public safety, alleges RCMP (The Globe and Mail)
Canada’s Surveillance Of Indian Diplomats Led To Allegations Of Sikh Leader’s Killing, Reports Say (Forbes)
