Canada and India have reached a breaking point, with both countries expelling diplomats over accusations of involvement in the murder of a Sikh separatist leader in Canada. In an escalating diplomatic standoff, Canada expelled six Indian diplomats on Monday, including India’s High Commissioner to Canada, following allegations that Indian agents were involved in the assassination of a Sikh separatist leader on Canadian soil.
The Indian government swiftly retaliated, ordering the expulsion of six high-ranking Canadian diplomats, including Canada’s acting High Commissioner, and recalling its own top envoy from Ottawa. This series of expulsions marks a severe deterioration in relations between the two Commonwealth nations and highlights the growing tension over India’s alleged targeting of Sikh dissidents in foreign countries.
The current crisis can be traced back to the assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Sikh separatist leader and Canadian citizen, who was gunned down outside a Sikh temple in British Columbia in June 2023. Nijjar was a prominent advocate for the creation of Khalistan, an independent Sikh state, and was considered a fugitive terrorist by Indian authorities due to his involvement in separatist movements. Canada, however, viewed Nijjar as a peaceful political activist.
In September 2023, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau publicly accused India of being linked to Nijjar’s assassination, citing credible intelligence that suggested Indian agents were involved in the murder. The Indian government immediately rejected these accusations, calling them “absurd” and driven by political motives. Nevertheless, Trudeau’s claims set the stage for a sharp diplomatic rupture, and tensions have continued to rise ever since.
On Monday, the Canadian government announced the expulsion of six Indian diplomats, including the High Commissioner, in connection with the Nijjar case. Trudeau delivered a statement at a news conference, stating that Canada now had “clear and compelling evidence” that Indian agents were not only involved in Nijjar’s murder but were also engaged in broader efforts to target Indian dissidents living in Canada.
“The evidence we’ve gathered shows that agents of the Indian government have used clandestine information gathering techniques, coercive behavior, and have been implicated in over a dozen acts of violence and intimidation against Canadians of South Asian descent,” said Trudeau. He condemned India’s actions as a “fundamental violation” of Canadian sovereignty, stating that “India has committed a grave error by engaging in criminal activities within our borders.”
In response to Canada’s actions, India swiftly ordered the expulsion of six high-ranking Canadian diplomats from its own country, accusing the Canadian government of failing to provide adequate protection for Indian diplomats. India’s foreign ministry also announced the withdrawal of its High Commissioner from Ottawa, further deepening the diplomatic rift.
“We do not have faith in the Canadian government’s ability to ensure the safety of our diplomatic staff,” India’s Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement, defending its actions as a necessary measure to safeguard its officials in Canada. The ministry also dismissed Trudeau’s allegations, accusing him of pursuing a “political agenda” aimed at appeasing Canada’s large Sikh diaspora, which has been a vocal supporter of the Khalistan movement.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) played a significant role in the ongoing investigation that led to the expulsion of the Indian diplomats. According to an RCMP spokesperson, law enforcement agencies had uncovered evidence of a broad campaign conducted by Indian agents to target Sikh dissidents in Canada, which included “homicides, extortion, and organized criminal activities.” The RCMP confirmed that the decision to expel the diplomats was made after months of careful investigation, which revealed that the six individuals were persons of interest in the Nijjar case.
“The actions of these individuals represent a direct threat to public safety in Canada,” said the RCMP spokesperson, adding that the police were continuing their investigation into other potential criminal activities tied to Indian agents in Canada.
Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly emphasized that the decision to expel the Indian diplomats was not made lightly. She revealed that the Canadian government had initially requested India to waive the diplomatic immunity of the six diplomats so that they could be questioned by Canadian authorities in connection with their alleged criminal activities. When India refused to cooperate, Canada felt it had no choice but to expel them.
“We are not seeking a diplomatic confrontation with India, but we cannot and will not allow any country to intimidate, harass, or kill Canadians,” Joly said during a press briefing. She underscored that Canada remained open to dialogue with India but would continue to stand firm in protecting its citizens, particularly members of the South Asian diaspora who had been targeted by foreign agents.
Tensions between Canada and India have been simmering for months, exacerbated by earlier diplomatic incidents. In October 2023, Canada withdrew over 40 diplomats from India after the Indian government demanded a reduction in Ottawa’s diplomatic presence. The latest wave of expulsions represents a further escalation in the standoff, raising concerns about the future of relations between the two countries.
The expulsion of diplomats from both sides marks one of the lowest points in Canada-India relations in recent history. While tensions over Sikh separatist movements have long plagued bilateral ties, experts warn that the latest actions could have far-reaching consequences.
“This is not just a rift—it’s a major rupture in the relationship with India,” said Fen Osler Hampson, a professor of international relations at Ottawa’s Carleton University. “It is hard to see, at this juncture, that a return to normalcy will happen anytime in the foreseeable future.”
Hampson noted that Canada’s large Sikh community, one of the largest outside of India, has increasingly been a source of tension between the two countries. Over recent years, pro-Khalistan demonstrations in Canada have irked the Indian government, which views the Khalistan movement as a serious national security threat. The diplomatic fallout from the Nijjar case could further complicate cooperation on key issues such as trade, security, and counterterrorism.
The Canada-India diplomatic row has also drawn attention from other international actors, most notably the United States. In 2023, U.S. authorities alleged that Indian agents were involved in a plot to assassinate another Sikh separatist leader in New York. An Indian national was indicted in connection with the plot, which further strained relations between the U.S. and India.
The U.S. State Department has confirmed that American officials will meet with an Indian government committee in Washington this week to discuss the findings of an investigation into Indian involvement in the foiled murder plot. While the U.S. has not directly weighed in on the Nijjar case, the accusations of assassination plots against Sikh leaders have raised serious concerns about India’s tactics in dealing with its diaspora communities.
The fallout from these incidents is expected to impact India’s diplomatic standing, particularly as it seeks to forge closer ties with Western nations to counterbalance China’s rising influence on the global stage. Both Canada and the U.S. have been working to strengthen their partnerships with India, but the allegations of extrajudicial killings and targeting of dissidents could complicate these efforts.
As both countries brace for the fallout from this diplomatic crisis, the path forward remains unclear. The expulsion of diplomats on both sides, combined with the ongoing investigations into Indian intelligence activities, has cast a shadow over any hope for immediate reconciliation.
While Canada has expressed a willingness to engage in dialogue with India, the expulsion of diplomats signifies a significant cooling of relations. For its part, India has shown no signs of backing down from its position, with officials reiterating their rejection of Canada’s accusations. “The relationship is in free fall,” said an unnamed diplomatic source familiar with the matter. “There’s a lot of work that needs to be done to repair the damage.”
