India and Canada are battling an unprecedented diplomatic crisis after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged that Indian government agents were involved in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada. India has rejected Canada’s allegations as “absurd” and “politically motivated”.
Canada on Monday expelled six Indian diplomats and consular officials in connection with the investigation into the murder of Nijjar in British Columbia in 2023.
India has also announced its decision to expel six Canadian diplomats, including Acting High Commissioner of Canada to India, Steward Ross Wheeler, Deputy High Commissioner to India Patrick Hebert and First Secretary Mary Catherine Joly.
Royal Canadian Mounted Police Commissioner, Mike Duhem, claimed on Monday (local time) that he has information on some criminal activities carried out by agents of the Indian government.
He said, “Over the past few years and more recently, law enforcement agencies in Canada have successfully investigated and charged a large number of individuals for their direct involvement in murders, extortion and other criminal acts of violence Furthermore, there have been well over a dozen credible imminent threats to the lives of members of the South Asian community and particularly members of the pro-Khalistan movement that law enforcement has undertaken to warn.’ ‘
In a statement on Monday, India “strongly” rejected Canada’s diplomatic communication that the Indian High Commissioner and other diplomats were “persons of interest” in an investigation, calling it “absurd allegations” and a political agenda. Termed as part. Justin Trudeau government.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s hostility towards India has long been in evidence and that his government has deliberately allowed violent extremists and terrorists to “harass, threaten and intimidate Indian diplomats and community leaders in Canada.” Space is provided for.
India-Canada relations reached a new low following the assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in 2023. However, the history of strained relations between India and Canada extends beyond current events.
Events that led to strained relations between India and Canada
February 2018: Jaspal Atwal, a convicted Khalistani terrorist who was active in the banned International Sikh Youth Federation, posed for a photo with Sophie Trudeau, former wife of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, at an event in Mumbai during the Canadian First Family’s visit to India.
Jaspal Atwal was also invited to a formal dinner hosted by the Canadian High Commissioner in Delhi with the Prime Minister of Canada. However, Atwal’s invitation to Trudeau’s reception was rescinded. Atwal was convicted of attempting to assassinate Punjab minister Malkiat Singh Sidhu on Vancouver Island in 1986.
June 2023: Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar was shot outside a Gurudwara in Surrey, British Columbia on June 18, 2023.
August 2023: A Hindu temple was vandalized by extremist elements with posters of the Khalistan referendum in Canada late Saturday night, Australia Today reported. This incident occurred in the British Columbia province of Canada.
September 2023: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau visited India on September 9-10 last year to attend the G20 summit. During his bilateral talks with Trudeau on the sidelines of the G20 summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed “strong concern” about the continued “anti-India activities” by extremist elements in Canada and said it is necessary for the two countries to cooperate. According to the Ministry of External Affairs, in dealing with such threats.
Even when Canadian PM Trudeau was in India for the G20 leaders’ summit, Khalistani separatists held a so-called ‘referendum’ in Surrey, British Columbia.
Designated terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun was present at the gathering of Khalistani separatists held at Guru Nanak Singh Gurdwara in Surrey. He used intimidating language against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and other leaders.
September 18, 2023: Justin Trudeau made the surprise revelation in the House of Commons that there was credible intelligence linking the Indian government to the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar outside a gurudwara.
Subsequently, India immediately responded by issuing a statement denying any involvement in the issue and calling it “absurd and politically motivated”.
The Foreign Ministry has said that Canada has continuously given space to anti-India extremists. According to the Foreign Ministry, Canada has not been able to present any evidence to prove its claims on the killing of Nijjar.
India also suspended its visa services to Canada after Trudeau accused the Indian government of involvement in the killing of a Khalistani terrorist in June.
October 2023: Canada recalled 41 diplomats from India and also stopped its visa and consular services in Chandigarh, Mumbai and Bengaluru consulates in the wake of the central government’s decision to snatch their immunity.
This came as New Delhi conveyed its concerns to Ottawa over the disproportionate number of diplomats in India and sought ‘parity’ in diplomatic strength.
Later in October, India resumed visa services for four categories in Canada after a review of the security situation, which “takes into account certain recent Canadian measures in this regard”.
Entry visa, business visa, medical visa and conference visa are the four categories in which India has decided to resume visa services in Canada from October 26.
November 2023: Indian High Commissioner to Canada Sanjay Kumar Verma said India was only seeking “specific and relevant” evidence in the murder case of Hardeep Singh Nijjar to help Canada reach a conclusion in the investigation.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has registered a case against ‘listed individual terrorist’ Gurpatwant Singh Pannun over his viral video in which he threatened passengers flying on Air India and the airline with a global lockdown and closure of its operations from November 19. Had given.
The NIA booked Pannun under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967. In the video, Pannun urged Sikhs not to fly Air India planes on November 19 and thereafter, claiming that doing so would put their lives in danger. Flew by Air India. He also threatened that Air India would not be allowed to operate in the world.
April 2024: At the Khalsa Day celebrations held in Toronto, pro-Khalistan slogans were raised in the presence of Justin Trudeau as well as opposition leader Pierre Poilievre.
As Trudeau was about to take the stage to deliver his Khalsa Day address, the chants were heard becoming louder as he arrived and began his speech in a video released by Canada-based CPAC TV. NDP leader Jagmeet Singh and Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow were also present at the event.
May 2024: Canadian police have arrested and charged three people in connection with the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar. The three men were identified as Karanpreet Singh (28), Kamalpreet Singh (22) and Karan Brar (22).
A few days later, Canadian police arrested a fourth suspect for alleged involvement in Nijjar’s murder. The accused was identified as Amandeep Singh (22).
June 2024: Members of Parliament from all parties in Canada observed a moment of silence for Nijjar.
July 2024: BAPS Swaminarayan Temple in Edmonton becomes victim of vandalism. Nepean Member of Parliament Chandra Arya expressed deep concern over the increasing incidents of hate violence against Hindu-Canadian communities.
October 2024: On October 15, Justin Trudeau on Monday accused Indian government agents of engaging in “covert information-gathering techniques, coercive behavior and intimidation and violent acts targeting Canadians”.
Citing evidence from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), Trudeau claimed that Indian government officials were involved in activities that posed a threat to public safety.
“As the RCMP Commissioner has previously stated, he has clear and convincing evidence that agents of the Government of India have engaged and are engaged in activities that pose a significant threat to public safety. This includes intelligence-gathering.” “Engaging in a dozen threatening and violating acts against Asian Canadians, including murder, is unacceptable,” Trudeau alleged in a press conference.
He further claimed that Canadian law enforcement “made numerous attempts” to work with Indian counterparts on these cases but “were repeatedly refused.”
Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Jolie has said that the decision to expel Indian diplomats was based on evidence collected by the RCMP in the Nijjar murder case and urged the Indian government to support the ongoing investigation for the benefit of the two countries. .
