Justin Trudeau’s recent accusations regarding India have created a diplomatic controversy, sparking tensions between the two countries. The Canadian Prime Minister suggested that India was involved in the extrajudicial murder of a Sikh leader on Canadian soil, leading to a series of reactions and statements from both sides.
India has issued a warning to its citizens in Canada, urging them to exercise extreme caution. This warning came after Canada and India each expelled a diplomat from the other’s embassy. Trudeau’s government is reportedly investigating allegations of Indian government involvement in the assassination of a Sikh separatist leader in British Columbia, Canada, while India vehemently denied these accusations, calling them “absurd”.
Under Justin Trudeau’s leadership, relations between Canada and India have deteriorated significantly. India’s foreign ministry issued its advisory “in light of growing anti-India activities and politically-condoned hate crimes and criminal violence in Canada”. The Indian government has been sensitive to demands for Khalistan, a separate Sikh nation, particularly by Sikh separatists in Western countries.
While the Khalistan movement had its peak in India during the 1980s, it has waned in relevance in the country but remains popular among the Sikh diaspora in places like Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom. Canada has a sizable Sikh community and has witnessed various pro-Khalistan protests and marches. India raised concerns about the safety of its diplomats in Canada in June, claiming that threats had been directed at its ambassadors and Indians opposing anti-India agendas.
In response to these developments, Canada also issued a travel advisory for its citizens visiting India, advising them to “exercise a high degree of caution” due to the “risk of terrorist attacks throughout” India, although the advisory has not been updated for several months.
The recent tensions escalated when Trudeau announced that Canadian intelligence agencies were looking into the possible involvement of “agents of the government of India” in the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canadian citizen. India had labeled Nijjar a terrorist in 2020, and he was fatally shot outside a Sikh temple in British Columbia in June. Trudeau characterized any foreign government’s involvement in a Canadian citizen’s killing on Canadian soil as an “unacceptable violation of our sovereignty”.
India strongly reacted to these allegations, accusing Canada of trying to divert attention from Khalistani terrorists and extremists taking refuge in Canada.
Canada’s opposition leader, Pierre Poilievre, called on Trudeau to provide more evidence regarding India’s alleged involvement in Nijjar’s murder. Poilievre emphasized the importance of transparency and the need for Canadians to have access to all available information.
British Columbia’s Premier David Eby also called for more information on foreign interference and transnational organized crime threats following a briefing from the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) on Nijjar’s assassination.
In response to Trudeau’s claims, Canada expelled a high-ranking Indian diplomat who served as India’s top intelligence officer in Canada. India responded by expelling a Canadian diplomat and dismissing the allegations as “absurd and motivated”.
Poilievre expressed the need for additional evidence from Trudeau, emphasizing that the prime minister had not provided any concrete proof to support his claims. He highlighted the potential risks if further information was not disclosed or if the accusations proved to be unsubstantiated.
This diplomatic controversy follows Trudeau’s challenging visit to India for a G20 meeting earlier in the month, which underscored strained relations between Trudeau and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
