India Expels Senior Canadian Diplomat, Rejects Trudeau's Allegation Of GoI's Involvement In Any Act Of Violence In Canada

New Delhi: The High Commissioner of Canada to India was summoned on Tuesday and informed about the decision of the Government of India to expel a senior Canadian diplomat based in India. The concerned diplomat has been asked to leave India within the next five days.

According to India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the decision reflects growing concern of the Government of India (GoI) in the interference of Canadian diplomats in India's internal matters and their involvement in anti-India activities.

Earlier, MEA rejected allegations of Government of India's involvement in any act of violence in Canada and described them as absurd and motivated.

"Similar allegations were made by the Canadian Prime Minister to our Prime Minister, and were completely rejected", a senior MEA official said.

We are a democratic polity with a strong commitment to rule of law. We have seen and reject the statement of the Canadian Prime Minister in their Parliament, as also the statement by their Foreign Minister, a statement issued by the MEA said.

Such unsubstantiated allegations seek to shift the focus from Khalistani terrorists and extremists, who have been provided shelter in Canada and continue to threaten India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. The inaction of the Canadian Government on this matter has been a long-standing and continuing concern.

That Canadian political figures have openly expressed sympathy for such elements remains a matter of deep concern, according to MSA.

The space given in Canada to a range of illegal activities including murders, human trafficking and organised crime is not new. We reject any attempts to connect Government of India to such developments, said the MEA spokesperson.

We urge the Government of Canada to take prompt and effective legal action against all anti-India elements operating from their soil, the MEA added.

Khalistani extremist was shot dead in Canada last year

Earlier, Canada had accused the Indian government in the killing of a Khalistani extremist last year and expelled a senior diplomat. 

Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who headed the Khalistani Tiger Force and the Canadian arm of Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), was shot dead by unknown attackers near a gurdwara in Surrey in June last year. He was a designated terrorist in India.

Canadian PM accused India over killing of Nijjar

Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Monday his government had credible evidence linking Hardeep Singh Nijjar's murder in June last year with "agents of the Government of India".

"Canadian security agencies have been actively pursuing credible allegations of a potential link between agents of the Government of India and the killing of a Canadian citizen, Hardeep Singh Nijjar," Trudeau told an emergency session of the parliament on Monday.

Trudeau said his government has conveyed its concerns to Indian security and intelligence officials. He also said that he had taken up the matter with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his India trip for G20 this month.

Any involvement of a foreign government in the killing of a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil is an unacceptable violation of our sovereignty. It is contrary to the fundamental rules by which free, open, and democratic societies conduct themselves, Trudeau said further.

Deeply concerned: US

Soon after Canada Prime Minister accused India of being behind the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, the US said it is deeply concerned about the allegations.

"The US was deeply concerned about the allegations disclosed by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau", US National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said in a statement.

"It is critical that Canada's investigation proceed and the perpetrators be brought to justice," Ms Watson said.