India, Canada expel diplomats as ties hit new low

India on Monday expelled six Canadian diplomats after withdrawing its high commissioner from Ottawa. 

Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in a statement said the diplomats were asked to leave India by or before 11:59 pm on Saturday. 

Stewart Ross Wheeler, Acting High Commissioner, Patrick Hebert, Deputy High Commissioner, Marie Catherine Joly, First Secretary, Ian Ross David Trites, First Secretary, Adam James Chuipka, First Secretary, and Paula Orjuela, First Secretary were the diplomats expelled from the country. 

Canada also expelled six Indian diplomats after its police revealed at a press conference that there are evidence suggesting India's involevement in 'campaign of violence'. 

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The MEA’s move comes after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s latest swipe at Indian diplomats relating to the probe into Khalistan separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar’s killing in Surrey, British Columbia, last year. 

The India-Canada diplomatic row escalated after Trudeau tried to link the Indian High Commissioner Sanjay Kumar Verma and other diplomats in the Nijjar death probe. 

ALSO READ | Nijjar row: India summons Canada envoy after Trudeau govt's latest provocation

India-Canada diplomatic tensions

Meanwhile, amid rising tensions between both countries, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Commissioner (RCMP), Mike Duheme, pointed out that the team created to investigate the threats to the South Asian community in the country found that there is a significant amount of information revealing the agents in Government of India are involved. 

“There have been well over a dozen credible imminent threats to life which have led to the conduct of duty to warn, by law enforcement with members of South Asian community and specifically, members of the pro-Khalistan movement,” said Duheme. 

In February 2024, the RCMP created a multi-disciplinary team to investigate and coordinate efforts to combat this threat. “The team has learnt a significant amount of information on breadth & depth of criminal activity orchestrated by agents of the Government of India, in consequential threats to the safety and security of Canadians & individuals living in Canada,” he added. 

“Despite law enforcement's action, the harm has continued, posing a serious threat to our public safety. We reached a point where we felt that it was imperative to confront Govt of India and inform the public about some very serious findings that have been uncovered through our investigations,” he said. 

Earlier this week, the RCMP Deputy Commissioner of Federal Policing made an attempt to meet with the Indian law-enforcement counterparts to discuss violent, extremist that occurred in Canada and India & present evidence pertaining to agents of the Govt of India's involvement in serious criminal activity here in Canada. Unfortunately, these attempts were unsuccessful.

“Therefore, the Deputy Commissioner met with officials of the Govt of India, alongside the National Security & Intelligence Advisor and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs over the weekend,” said Duheme.

RCMP pointed out that they have received evidence demonstrating serious issues including, violence, extremist impact in both countries,  links tying agents of the Govt of India to homicides & violent acts, the use of organised crime to create the perception of an unsafe environment targeting the South Asian community in Canada, and interference in democratic processes.

Also, India has summoned Canadian Charge d'Affaires Stewart Wheeler on Monday. Meanwhile, while talking to the reporters, Canadian Charge d'Affaires Stewart Wheelers said, "Canada has provided credible, irrefutable evidence of ties between agents of the Government of India and the murder of a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil."