WASHINGTON, (TDI): The United States has cautioned India to take seriously the allegations raised by Canada regarding a plot to assassinate a Sikh separatist leader, as tensions between the two nations rise.
State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller stressed the importance of India fully cooperating with the ongoing investigation, noting, “We want to see India take these allegations seriously and collaborate with Canada’s investigations. Instead, they have opted for a different approach.”
The diplomatic crisis escalated this week when both countries expelled each other’s senior diplomats following Canada’s accusations that Indian agents were involved in the 2023 assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a prominent Sikh activist, on Canadian soil.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stated that the government acted after police discovered credible evidence linking Indian agents to Nijjar’s killing.
Trudeau also accused Indian operatives of engaging in violent acts, extortion, and targeting members of the pro-Khalistan movement, which advocates for an independent Sikh state in India.
The expulsion of diplomats signifies a significant deterioration in diplomatic relations, with experts warning that this fallout could hinder the long-term prospects of India-Canada ties and complicate India’s global aspirations.
Praveen Donthi, a senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, remarked, “The decline in India-Canada relations, which has been worsening since last year, will now face even more challenges that could take a long time to mend.”
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Tensions escalated further when Canadian authorities identified India’s top diplomat in the country as a person of interest in the assassination.
Canada claims to have evidence indicating an increasing campaign against Canadian citizens by Indian government agents.
Trudeau remarked that India made a “fundamental error” by using diplomats and organized crime to threaten Canadian citizens.
He emphasized that, as stated by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) commissioner, there is “clear and compelling evidence” of Indian agents engaging in activities that threaten public safety.
Trudeau asserted that Canada, rooted in the rule of law, prioritizes the protection of its nationals and will not tolerate any foreign government’s involvement in threatening or harming its citizens on Canadian territory.
Diplomatic relations between Canada and India reached a new low recently as both nations expelled six diplomats in retaliation, following the accusations regarding the assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Vancouver last year.
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Nijjar, a Canadian national and vocal advocate for a sovereign Sikh state—Khalistan—was shot dead on June 18, 2023, outside the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia.
His body was discovered inside his car. Subsequently, Canadian law enforcement arrested four individuals of Punjabi-Indian descent and charged them in connection with Nijjar’s death.
Relations between New Delhi and Ottawa have been deteriorating since September 2023, when Trudeau announced credible evidence linking Indian agents to Nijjar’s murder. Canada previously withdrew more than 40 diplomats from India in October 2023 following a request from New Delhi to reduce its diplomatic presence.
In June, a committee of Canadian lawmakers had labeled India as a primary foreign threat to its democratic institutions, based on information from intelligence agencies.
