India retaliates against Canada, situation further escalates

India's foreign ministry said the decision to expel a Canadian diplomat was in response to a similar move by Ottawa a day earlier.

"The Canadian diplomat has been asked to leave India within five days. This decision reflects the Indian government's growing concern over interference by Canadian diplomats in our internal affairs," the Indian Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement.

Earlier, on September 18, Canada expelled an Indian diplomat, described by Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly as "the head of the Indian intelligence agency in Canada".

Canada and India have expelled each other's diplomats, escalating tensions over the killing of a Sikh activist in Canada.

Ấn Độ trả đũa Canada, tình hình thêm căng thẳng - Ảnh 1.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks on September 18. Photo: AP

In a speech to the Canadian Parliament on September 18, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Ottawa's security agencies are investigating "credible allegations of links between India and the murder of Canadian citizen Hardeep Singh Nijjar".

According to Mr. Trudeau, "any involvement of a foreign government in the killing of Canadian citizens on Canadian soil is an unacceptable violation of our sovereignty. In the strongest possible terms, I continue to call on the Indian government to work with Canada to resolve this issue."

India has rejected Canada's "absurd" suspicions regarding the death of Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

According to the AP news agency, Mr. Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a lawyer and spokesman for the organization Sikhs For Justice, said Mr. Nijjar was warned by Canadian intelligence officials about being targeted for assassination by "mercenaries" before he was shot.

Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Sikh separatist considered a wanted terrorist by India, was shot dead near Vancouver in June. Nijjar was believed to be organizing an unofficial referendum in India to create an independent Sikh state at the time of his death.

Canada has one of the largest overseas Indian communities, numbering about 1.4 million out of Canada's total population of 40 million. In the 2021 Canadian census, more than 770,000 people were Sikh, making up about 2% of the total population.

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