Tensions Surge Over Allegations Linked to Sikh Separatist Leader’s Assassination

Diplomatic relations between India and Canada have plunged to new depths as both countries expelled multiple diplomats in a tit-for-tat response to escalating tensions. The diplomatic fallout stems from ongoing investigations into the assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Sikh separatist leader, in Canada last year, which has sparked a major diplomatic crisis.

On Monday, India ordered six Canadian diplomats to leave by Saturday, after Canada labeled Indian diplomats “persons of interest” in the investigation surrounding Nijjar’s murder. In a retaliatory move, Canada expelled six Indian diplomats, accusing them of involvement in a broader “campaign of violence” allegedly orchestrated by the Indian government.

India expels Canadian diplomats

India’s Ministry of External Affairs issued a detailed statement announcing the expulsion of six senior Canadian diplomats, including Acting High Commissioner Stewart Ross Wheeler.

“The Government of India has decided to expel the following six Canadian diplomats: Mr. Stewart Ross Wheeler, Acting High Commissioner; Mr. Patrick Hebert, Deputy High Commissioner; Ms. Marie Catherine Joly, First Secretary; Mr. Ian Ross David Trites, First Secretary; Mr. Adam James Chuipka, First Secretary; Ms. Paula Orjuela, First Secretary. They have been asked to leave India by or before 11:59 PM on Saturday, October 19, 2024,” the statement read.

India summons Canada’s Charge d’Affaires

Earlier in the day, India summoned Canada’s Charge d’Affaires Stewart Wheeler to condemn what it described as the “unfounded targeting” of Indian diplomats in Canada. The Indian government conveyed its strong disapproval of the allegations and warned that further actions could follow.

The Ministry stressed that India “reserves the right to take further steps in response to the Trudeau Government’s support for extremism, violence, and separatism against India.” The ministry’s statement also highlighted long-standing concerns over Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s perceived hostility toward India.

Trudeau’s alleged support for separatists under scrutiny

The Indian government’s criticism extended beyond the current diplomatic crisis, pointing to past incidents that have strained bilateral ties. The Ministry’s statement accused Trudeau of pandering to a vote bank that supports extremism.

“Prime Minister Trudeau’s hostility to India has long been in evidence. In 2018, his visit to India, which was aimed at currying favor with a vote bank, rebounded to his discomfort. His Cabinet has included individuals who have openly associated with an extremist and separatist agenda regarding India. His naked interference in Indian internal politics in December 2020 showed how far he was willing to go in this regard,” the statement said.

The killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar: A catalyst for conflict

At the center of the diplomatic storm is Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a vocal proponent of Khalistan, a separatist Sikh state that would be carved out of India. Nijjar, who immigrated to Canada in 1997 and became a Canadian citizen in 2015, had long been on India’s radar for alleged terrorism and conspiracy to commit murder.

Nijjar was gunned down outside a Sikh temple in Surrey, British Columbia, in June 2023. His killing has been a flashpoint in India-Canada relations, particularly after Trudeau suggested in September 2023 that Indian agents may have been involved in the assassination. These allegations, which India dismissed as “absurd,” brought relations between the two nations to a breaking point.

India rejects Trudeau’s allegations as “absurd”

New Delhi has strongly refuted Canada’s claims, describing them as baseless and politically motivated. The Indian government has made it clear that it does not trust the current Canadian administration to ensure the safety of its diplomats, leading to the withdrawal of Indian envoys from Canada.

As the diplomatic rift continues to widen, India remains firm in its stance. “We have no faith in the current Canadian Government’s commitment to ensure the security of our diplomats,” India declared, citing an atmosphere of extremism and violence in Canada that it believes Trudeau’s administration has enabled.

A diplomatic rift with broader implications

The deepening crisis between India and Canada not only threatens to freeze diplomatic ties but also has the potential to disrupt economic and security partnerships. Both nations are signaling that the stakes are high, and the situation could worsen if tensions remain unchecked.

With accusations of extremist support, terrorism, and interference in internal affairs, the fallout from Nijjar’s assassination has far-reaching consequences. Whether diplomacy can prevail to heal this widening rift remains an open question.