Hardeep Singh Nijjar murder: Canada and India expel each other top diplomats
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A high-ranking Canadian diplomat was instructed to depart from India on Tuesday, as confirmed by India's foreign ministry. This action came shortly after Ottawa expelled an Indian diplomat in connection with the killing of a Sikh separatist near Vancouver.
New Delhi's decision reflects its deepening concerns about Canadian diplomats interfering in its internal affairs and engaging in anti-India activities, as stated by the foreign ministry. This development follows Canada's announcement on Monday that it was actively investigating credible allegations linking Indian government agents to the murder of a Sikh separatist leader in British Columbia in June, further straining diplomatic relations between the two nations.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau emphasized that any foreign government's involvement in the killing of a Canadian citizen constitutes an unacceptable breach of sovereignty. The victim, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, was fatally shot outside a Sikh temple in Surrey on June 18, a Vancouver suburb with a significant Sikh population.
Nijjar had advocated for an independent Khalistani state and was designated as a "terrorist" by India in July 2020. Trudeau revealed that Canadian security agencies were actively looking into credible allegations of potential links between government agents of India and Nijjar's death.
He had discussed the murder directly with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the G20 summit in New Delhi the previous week, urging India to cooperate with Canada in uncovering the truth behind this matter
