Ottawa. India Canada Relations. Relations between Canada and India have once again soured. The Canadian government has accused the Indian High Commissioner of being involved in the murder of Khalistan supporter Hardeep Singh Nijjar. The Indian government has termed these allegations as baseless. At the same time, India has called back its High Commissioner Sanjay Kumar Verma and other diplomats from Canada.

I have spoken to PM Modi on this matter: Trudeau

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau  said Canada has shared all information related to allegations of involvement of Indian officials in the killing of a Canadian citizen last year with its 'Five Eyes' partners, particularly the United States.  

Addressing a press conference, Trudeau said, "India expelled six Canadian diplomats on Monday and rejected the allegations related to the investigation into the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar. After this, Canada has called back its High Commissioner and other officials to the country. Justin Trudeau said that I spoke to PM Modi and told him that India should take this matter seriously." 

We cannot ignore Nijjar's killing: Trudeau

Trudeau has said that we have not deliberately chosen to create tension in Canada-India relations. India is an important democracy, a country with which our people have deep historical trade ties. We do not want this fight, but obviously the killing of a Canadian on Canadian soil is not something that we can ignore as a country, so we have conveyed everything we know to India at every step. I have spoken directly to Prime Minister Modi.

Six Canadian diplomats ordered to leave India  

India has decided to expel six Canadian diplomats - Stewart Ross Wheeler (Acting High Commissioner), Patrick Hebert, Mary Catherine Jolly (First Secretary), Ian Ross David (First Secretary), Adam James Chuipka (First Secretary) and Paula Orjuela (First Secretary). They have been asked to leave India by 12 midnight on October 19. 

'We have solid evidence'

Trudeau said, "The RCMP Commissioner has clear and compelling evidence that Indian government agents have engaged in and continue to engage in activities that pose a serious threat to public safety. This includes using intelligence gathering techniques, targeting South Asian Canadians, and murder, among other violations. This is unacceptable."

Trudeau further claimed that "Canadian law enforcement agencies have tried several times to work with Indian counterparts on these matters. But they have been repeatedly refused. That is why Canadian authorities have now taken an extraordinary step."

was murdered last year 

On 18 June 2023, Nijjar was shot dead outside a gurdwara in British Columbia. Following the killing, in September, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused Indian agents of involvement in Nijjar's murder. India had termed Trudeau's allegations as 'absurd'.