New Delhi/Ottawa (dpa) – In the ongoing conflict between India And Canada After the killing of a Canadian Sikh activist, both countries expelled several diplomats. The government in Ottawa has accused India of being involved in a criminal network aimed at intimidating and harassing Sikh supporters in Canada and expelled the most senior Indian diplomat in Canada and several others. India rejected these allegations and in return decided to expel six Canadian diplomats. New Delhi also announced that the highest-ranking envoy to Canada would be withdrawn.
India’s foreign ministry said it had summoned the Canadian embassy charge d’affaires, Stewart Wheeler, and informed him of his expulsion. A statement also said that India no longer has confidence in the ability of the current Canadian government to ensure the security of Indian diplomats in Canada. India has rejected a statement from Canada that Indian diplomats were considered “persons of interest” in the context of ongoing investigations.
The murder case of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in June 2023 put bilateral relations at an all-time low. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused the Indian government of deliberately killing the Indian-Canadian. New Delhi has denied the allegations. Nijjar was a well-known supporter of an independent state for the Sikhs in Indian Territory. Indian authorities had been looking for him for a long time and accused him of “terrorism”.
Canada’s Sikh religious community has the largest community outside of India, with nearly 800,000 followers.
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