New Delhi: The diplomatic standoff between Canada and India has reached a boiling point, with Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly issuing a stark warning to the remaining Indian diplomats in Canada. Joly asserted that these diplomats are “clearly on notice” and refrain from any actions that could endanger Canadian lives.
“They are clearly on notice. Six of them have been expelled including the high commissioner in Ottawa. Others were mainly from Toronto and Vancouver and clearly we won’t tolerate any diplomats that are in contravention of the Vienna convention.”
The tensions escalated earlier this week after Canada expelled India’s high commissioner and five other diplomats, alleging their involvement in a campaign of violence and intimidation against Sikh separatists on Canadian soil. Joly emphasised that this level of transnational repression is unprecedented in Canada’s history, drawing parallels to similar actions by Russia in Germany and the UK.
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“We’ve never seen that in our history. That level of transnational repression cannot happen on Canadian soil. We’ve seen it elsewhere in Europe. Russia has done that in Germany and the UK and we needed to stand firm on this issue,” She said.
The crux of the controversy lies in allegations by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) that Indian diplomats shared information about Sikh activists with Indian authorities, who then passed it on to organised crime groups.
These groups, according to Canadian officials, have been linked to various criminal activities, including the assassination of pro-Khalistan activists, including Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was gunned down last year in British Columbia.
India has vehemently denied these accusations, labelling them “absurd” and retaliating by expelling six Canadian diplomats. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal dismissed the claims and accused Canada of harbouring individuals wanted for terrorism-related charges in India.
The diplomatic row has further strained an already tense relationship following Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s September 2023 statement, suggesting Indian agents were potentially involved in Nijjar’s murder. India had previously declared Nijjar a terrorist
The diplomatic standoff highlights a long-standing issue of differing perspectives on Sikh separatism. India accuses Canada of turning a blind eye to the activities of Khalistani separatists, claiming they operate freely in Canada despite being implicated in terrorism-related cases in India.
