India Canada row live updates: Canada alleges ‘ongoing’ pattern of India backed ‘violence’ against its citizens
India Canada row live updates: India on Monday expelled six Canadian diplomats, including the Charge d'Affaires, Stewart Wheeler, just hours after summoning him to convey its discontent over what it described as the "baseless targeting" of its diplomats in Canada. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced that the diplomats must leave India by 11.59 pm on Saturday, October 19, 2024....Read More
In a tit-for-tat move, Canada also expelled six Indian officials. The row snowballed when Canadian police named the Indian ambassador and other diplomats as "persons of interest" in a probe linked to the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
The Indian government expressed grave concerns regarding the safety of its diplomats, citing an atmosphere of "extremism and violence" fostered by the Trudeau government. In a release, the MEA stated, "We have no faith in the current Canadian Government's commitment to ensure their security," prompting the decision to withdraw India’s High Commissioner to Canada, Sanjay Kumar Verma, along with other targeted officials.
Also read | India livid after Canada wanted to interrogate its diplomats over Nijjar murder
India termed Canada's move to investigate its diplomats as "preposterous" and part of the political agenda of the Justin Trudeau government.
This diplomatic spat follows a series of allegations made by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau last year, claiming credible evidence linking India to the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar. India has categorically denied these accusations, labelling them as "absurd" and part of a political agenda aimed at "vote bank politics" within Canada.
Timeline of the India-Canada diplomatic row:
- September 2023: Justin Trudeau tells parliament that Canada was investigating Indian government agents' links to Nijjar's killing. Nijjar, who India designated as a terrorist in 2020, was shot dead by masked gunmen outside a Sikh temple in British Columbia.
- September 2023: India suspends issuing new visas for Canadians and asked Ottawa to reduce its diplomatic presence in India. India resumes issuing visas two months later.
- October 2023: Canada withdrew 41 diplomats from India amid the dispute.
- November 2023: India's anti-terror agency, National Investistion Agency (NIA), files a case against Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a Sikh separatist, stating that he warned Air India passengers in video messages shared on social media that their lives were in danger.
- February 2024: India's High Commissioner says in an interview with Canada's Globe and Mail newspaper that India will not provide information to Canadian investigators over Nijjar's murder until Canada shares evidence.
- August 2024: Canadian police warn Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, an aide to Nijjar, of an increased threat to his life, a prominent Sikh separatist says.
October 2024: India expels six Canadian diplomats and recalls its ambassador after they are designated as "persons of interest" in its probe into the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
As diplomatic relations worsen, analysts fear that these developments could further complicate the already strained ties between the two countries. The situation remains fluid, with both sides preparing for possible retaliatory measures. The MEA has signalled that it retains the right to take further actions in response to what it views as ongoing provocations from the Canadian government.
India Canada row live updates: Why Canada escalated issue into a diplomatic row?
India Canada row live updates: Canada said it decided to escalate the row over killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar to disrupt the “ongoing” pattern of violence against its citizens backed by the agents of Indian government.
Canada also said the latest escalation of diplomatic tensions with India is due to the latter's refusal to cooperate with the investigation.
India Canada row live updates: Journalist says Canadian people are ‘fed up’ with Trudeau's government
India- Canada row live updates: Canadian journalist Daniel Bordman said a vast majority of Canadians have lost trust in Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's leadership and are “fed up” with his handling of diplomatic tensions with India.
“Vast majority of Canadians are incredibly fed up with this government. (They) don't believe the institutions, don't see the media as credible, don't see Justin Trudeau as credible. So many Canadians will just look at this, shrug their shoulders and probably even side with India,” Bordman told news agency ANI.
"There are elements within the Khalistani apparatus, they are all over this... The Khalistani elements are in full attack mode. They are taking this as a total victory and slamming India," he added.
India Canada row live updates: Canadian leader calls for sanctions against India
India Canada row live updates: Canada's New Democratic Party (NDP) leader Jagmeet Singh urged the government to impose diplomatic sanctions on India for its alleged involvement in the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
He also urged the Canadian government to ensure more severe consequences for anyone indulging in organised criminal activity against Canadian citizens on their own soil.
"New Democrats are extremely worried about the information released by the RCMP commissioner today. Canadians, particularly the Sikh community in Canada, have been stalked by fear, threats, harassment and violence-including extortion, violence and electoral interference all allegedly at the hands of Indian officials," he said.
India Canada row live updates: Canadian Foreign Minister says actions are based on evidence
India Canada row live updates: Canada's Minister of Foreign Affairs Melanie Joly said her country's decision to expel certain Indian diplomats was based on evidence and urged the Indian government to cooperate with Canada's investigation into the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
"Keeping Canadians safe is our government's top priority. The decision to expel individuals was based on clear evidence gathered by the RCMP in the Nijjar case. We urge the Indian government to support our ongoing investigation for the benefit of both countries," she said in a post on X.
India-Canada row live updates: Analysts says Canada pushing bilateral ties to new low
India-Canada row live updates: Senior fellow at the Observer Research foundation, Sushant Sareen said recent allegations by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau against Indian diplomats have pushed bilateral relations between the two countries to a new low.
In addition to expulsion of diplomats, he also called for an investigation into Canadian NGOs and embassies that support pro-Khalistani elements.
"The relations have become so bad that even if Trudeau is not there in power, I don't think the relations will get normalised any sooner. The poison that Trudeau has put into this relationship will take a lot of time to heal, and it won't happen overnight," Sareen added. (ANI)
India-Canada row live updates: Canada says information shared with Five Eyes intelligence allies
India-Canada row live updates: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his country has shared all information related to the alleged involvement of Indian government agents in killing of Canadian national and Khalistani sympathiser Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
“From the beginning, as of last summer, we've worked closely with our Five Eyes partners, particularly with the United States, where they have gone through a similar pattern of behaviour from India in regards to an attempted extrajudicial killing,” Trudeau told reporters.
India-Canada row live updates: Trudeau alleges India using organised crime elements against Canadians
India-Canada row live updates: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused India of choosing to use its diplomats and organised crime to attack its citizens and make them feel unsafe on their own soil.
“I believe that India has made a monumental mistake by choosing to use their diplomats and organised crime to attack Canadians, to make them feel unsafe here at (their) home, and even more, to create acts of violence and even murder. It's unacceptable,” Trudeau alleged.
