India-Canada relations are deteriorating rapidly, with both governments exchanging serious allegations and responding with diplomatic actions against each other.
A dispute that has been ongoing for a year resurfaced on Monday, as the Canadian government accused six Indian diplomats, including High Commissioner Sanjay Kumar Verma, of being involved in the killing of Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in June 2023.
Nijjar, the leader of the Khalistan Tiger Force designated as a terrorist group in India, was wanted for planning and funding numerous terrorist attacks. He was assassinated by masked individuals outside a Sikh temple in Vancouver last year.
India quickly dismissed Canada’s allegations as politically motivated and expelled six Canadian diplomats in retaliation. Canada reciprocated by ordering six Indian diplomats to leave by the end of the week.
Adding fuel to the fire, a report in the Washington Post implicated India’s Home Minister Amit Shah in authorizing intelligence gathering and attacks on Sikh separatists in Canada.
Despite these claims, Indian officials have not responded to the allegations in the report.
The Canadian government maintains that it has provided evidence of Indian officials’ involvement in criminal activities on Canadian soil, including attacks and murders.
The dispute between India and Canada has escalated over the past year, with accusations becoming more targeted towards high-level Indian officials.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has expressed confidence in the allegations against India, citing evidence of activities that threaten public safety.
The recent diplomatic expulsions are just the latest in a series of tensions between the two countries, dating back several decades.
Canada’s history of supporting Sikh separatists, along with India’s alleged actions against them in Canada, has strained relations between the two countries.
This ongoing conflict has damaged the relationship between India and Canada, with both sides engaging in accusations and retaliatory measures.