India on Tuesday expelled a Canadian diplomat, just hours after Ottawa expelled the South Asian nation’s intelligence chief over the murder of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
The development came after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused the India government of the fatal shooting of Canadian Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar and expelled New Delhi’s intelligence chief in Ottawa in retaliation.
The Canadian high commissioner, or ambassador, in New Delhi had been summoned and told of the expulsion decision, India’s foreign ministry said in a statement.
India expels a senior Canadian Diplomat: https://t.co/TS8LHCUuuY pic.twitter.com/Y0pXq3v1DG
— Arindam Bagchi (@MEAIndia) September 19, 2023
With the startling revelation of Mr Trudeau, the Canadian government kicked out New Delhi’s intelligence chief in Ottawa in an intense move that further tensed the ties between the two sides.
PM Trudeau directed the Canadian law enforcement and security agencies to ensure the safety of all citizens and hinted at taking steps to hold perpetrators of this murder to account.
Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Jolie confirmed the swift action, confirming that the government expelled a senior Indian diplomat from Canada, who is said to be the head of India’s foreign intelligence agency.
Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a most wanted man in the South Asian nation, was assassinated in June this year near Vancouver, a home to the Sikh community.
The deceased raised his voice for a separate independent Sikh state while New Delhi slammed Nijjar of carrying out attacks in India.
