Canada and India expel each other's diplomats

India later dismissed the accusation as “absurd” and expelled a Canadian diplomat again on Tuesday, further souring already strained relations between Ottawa and New Delhi over the Sikh issue.

“The involvement of any foreign government in the murder of a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil is an unacceptable violation of our sovereignty ,” Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Monday.

“Today we expelled a senior Indian diplomat from Canada,” Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly said. She said the Indian expelled was the head of the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) in Canada.

India's foreign ministry on Tuesday denied any involvement in Nijjar's death and said it had ordered an unnamed senior Canadian diplomat to leave the country within five days.

“The allegation that the Government of India is involved in any act of violence in Canada is absurd,” the ministry said in a statement, adding: “We are a democratic country with a strong commitment to the rule of law.”

Hardeep Singh Nijjar, whom India has declared a wanted terrorist, was gunned down on June 18 in Surrey, a suburb of Vancouver with a large Sikh community. Outside India, Canada has the largest Sikh population in the world.

Nijjar advocates the creation of an independent Sikh state in northern parts of India. New Delhi has accused Nijjar of carrying out terrorist attacks in India.

Hoang Anh (according to AFP, Reuters)

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