Canada and India’s relations have soured once again after the Canadian government alleged that Indian agents in Ottawa and consultants in Vancouver and Toronto were behind violent crimes across the country.
Sources in the Canadian government said Indian agents played key roles in a wave of shootings, killings, threats, arsons, and extortions in Canada. As such, the Canadian government expelled six Indian diplomats and consular officials citing a targeted campaign against Canadian citizens by ‘agents’ linked to the Indian government.
However, India termed this as preposterous and a political agenda of the Justin Trudeau-led Canadian government. In retaliation, India withdrew its High Commissioner in Canada and expelled six Canadian diplomats, giving them a deadline of October 19 to leave the country.
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Canada Blames India Agents for Violence
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters that the Indian government made a fundamental error, and its agents played a role in widespread violence in Canada. He said it’s obvious that the government of India made a fundamental error in thinking that it could engage in supporting criminal activity against Canadians on Canadian soil.
Trudeau highlighted that no country, particularly Canada that upholds the rule of law can accept this fundamental violence on its sovereignty. He said the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) revealed their findings to disrupt the patterns of Indian diplomats collecting questionable and illegal means, that is, information on Canadian citizens.
PM Trudeau claimed the information was used by criminal organizations to take violent actions – extortion to murder.
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Who Killed Hardeep Singh Nijjar?
RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme told the media that they worked with other law enforcement agencies and found substantial evidence that linked Indian government agents to homicides and other violent crimes in Canada. He said Indian diplomats and consular officials based in Canada used their official positions to engage in clandestine activities either directly or through proxies.
Duheme said there have been over a dozen credible and imminent threats to members of the South Asian community, specifically members of the pro-Khalistan movement. Relations between Canada and India soured since Canadian authorities established evidence linking Indian agents to the killing of Canadian Sikh Khalistani leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in June 2023.
