Chicago – October 14, 2024
Canada and India each expelled six diplomats from their countries on Monday due to increasing tensions after the assassination of a Sikh activist, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, in Canada in June 2023.
Canada’s Foreign Minister, Mélanie Joly, stated that Canada removed six Indian diplomats, including the high commissioner, because of evidence showing that Indian agents were targeting Canadian citizens.
In response, India also expelled six Canadian diplomats, including the acting high commissioner and the deputy high commissioner, and instructed them to leave India by the end of the week.
The Indian government had already planned to pull out its diplomats after dismissing a note from Canada on Sunday, which mentioned the Indian ambassador as a person of interest in the assassination.
Canada acted first by expelling the Indian diplomats due to unresolved safety concerns for Canadians, according to Joly.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had previously expressed that there were serious allegations linking the Indian government to the assassination of Nijjar.
