On October 14, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused India of orchestrating the assassination of Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar, leading to the expulsion of six Indian diplomats from Canada. In response, India retaliated by expelling six Canadian diplomats and recalling its envoy to Canada, bringing the relationship between the two countries to the brink of collapse.
Last year, Trudeau had previously alleged that Indian agents were involved in Nijjar’s murder and claimed to possess evidence.
During a press conference on October 14, Trudeau stated that the Canadian government now has “clear and credible evidence” indicating that agents of the Indian government have engaged and continue to engage in activities that pose a significant threat to Canadian public safety.
According to a report by Reuters, Trudeau revealed that these activities include covert information gathering and intimidation targeting South Asian Canadians, as well as involvement in numerous threats and acts of violence, including murder, emphasizing that such actions are “unacceptable.”
India has long denied Trudeau’s accusations and dismissed Canada’s investigation on the same day, accusing Trudeau of politicizing the issue.
The New York Times reported that Trudeau mentioned having a meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi last week during the East Asia Summit in Laos to discuss the investigation. Earlier, national security officials from both countries had met in Singapore to address the matter.
“I made it very clear to Modi that he needs to take this seriously,” Trudeau said. Despite the one-on-one discussions between the two leaders, the meeting in Singapore did not yield the results Canadian officials had hoped for, ultimately leading to the diplomatic expulsions.
Canada is home to the largest Sikh community outside India, while Indian Sikhs mainly reside in the northwestern state of Punjab. The Indian government claims that some Sikhs in Canada are actively involved in a separatist movement aimed at creating a Sikh nation called Khalistan, separate from India.
