Canada Issues Warning to Indian Diplomats Amid Rising Tensions Over Criminal Activity Allegations
On Friday, Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly issued a stern warning to the remaining Indian diplomats in Canada, stating that the country will no longer tolerate any further criminal activity linked to foreign agents on its soil. This announcement comes in the wake of the expulsion of six Indian diplomats earlier in the week, following accusations of involvement in murder and extortion, reportedly carried out under orders from New Delhi.
Among the diplomats expelled was India’s high commissioner, who has been named a person of interest in the assassination of Canadian Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar on June 18, 2023, in British Columbia. Nijjar, a prominent advocate for the creation of a separate Sikh state in India, was gunned down outside a Sikh temple, escalating tensions between Canada and India.
India has vehemently denied the allegations and responded by expelling six Canadian diplomats from its own territory. However, Canadian officials assert that substantial evidence exists linking Indian agents to criminal activities in Canada, including targeting Sikh separatists. Joly emphasized that these actions represent an unprecedented level of foreign interference.
“There was definitely a threat, which is why the RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police) took the extraordinary step of making it public,” Joly said during a press conference in Montreal, as reported by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. She added that Canadians had been subjected to intimidation, extortion, and death threats due to the involvement of Indian diplomats and agents in these activities.
Joly stressed that such transnational repression has never been seen in Canadian history and reaffirmed Canada’s commitment to safeguarding its citizens from foreign threats. The diplomatic spat has deepened already strained relations between Ottawa and New Delhi, with no resolution in sight.
