India said on Tuesday it had expelled a Canadian diplomat with five days’ notice to leave the country, just hours after Ottawa expelled the South Asian nation’s top intelligence agent and accused it of a role in the murder of a Sikh separatist leader.
The development was the latest in an escalating row between the two nations, with Canada saying on Monday it was “actively pursuing credible allegations” linking Indian government agents to the murder in British Columbia in June.
The Canadian high commissioner in New Delhi had been summoned and told of the expulsion decision, India’s foreign ministry said in a statement.
“The decision reflects the government of India’s growing concern at the interference of Canadian diplomats in our internal matters and their involvement in anti-India activities,” the ministry added. “The concerned diplomat has been asked to leave India within the next five days.”
Earlier on Tuesday, India dismissed the Canadian accusation as “absurd and motivated” and urged it instead to take legal action against anti-Indian elements operating from its soil.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in an emergency statement to the House of Commons that any involvement of a foreign government in the killing of a Canadian citizen was “an unacceptable violation of our sovereignty”.
Hardeep Singh Nijjar, 45, was shot dead outside a Sikh temple on June 18 in Surrey, a Vancouver suburb with a large Sikh population. Nijjar supported a Sikh homeland in the form of an independent Khalistani state and was designated by India as a “terrorist” in July 2020.
“Canadian security agencies have been actively pursuing credible allegations of a potential link between agents of the government of India” and Nijjar’s death, Trudeau said.
Meanwhile, US authorities have been in close contact with their Canadian counterparts about allegations the Indian government was involved in the murder of a Sikh separatist leader in Canada and have urged India to cooperate with the investigation, a senior State Department official said on Tuesday.
“We have been in close contact with our Canadian colleagues about this. We’re quite concerned about the allegations. We think it’s important there is a full and open investigation and we would urge the Indian Government to cooperate with that investigation,” the official told reporters at a news briefing.
On the other hand, Britain will continue trade talks with India despite allegations from Canada that the Indian government was involved in the murder of a Sikh separatist leader on its soil, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s spokesperson said on Tuesday.
Britain was in touch with Canada about the “serious allegations” but said it would not have an impact on trade talks with India, the spokesperson said.
Moreover, Australia has also expressed “deep concern” about the developments.
“Australia is deeply concerned by these allegations and notes ongoing investigations into this matter,” a spokesperson for foreign minister Penny Wong said.
“We are closely engaged with partners on developments. We have conveyed our concerns at senior levels to India.”
