India-Canada tensions: Senior Canadian diplomat expelled from New Delhi, given 5 days to leave

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Tuesday said that the High Commissioner of Canada Cameron MacKay was summoned earlier today and told that the Government of India has decided to expel a senior Canadian diplomat based in India. The diplomat in question has been asked to leave India in the next 5 days.  

The development was confirmed by MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi. Bagchi said that the decision to expel the senior diplomat reflects India’s growing concern at the interference of Canadian diplomats in our internal matters and their alleged involvement in anti-India activities.  

“The decision reflects Government of India’s growing concern at the interference of Canadian diplomats in our internal matters and their involvement in anti-India activities,” the MEA said.  

The decision comes hours after the External Affairs Ministry condemned Canadian PM Justin Trudeau’s allegations of Indian involvement in the death of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, the Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) chief. Calling the allegation “absurd and motivated,” the MEA said that India is a democratic polity with a strong commitment to the rule of law.  

Trudeau said that the Indian government is allegedly behind the killing of the KTF chief. He also noted that he raised the issue with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Delhi. In June this year, Nijjar was killed by unidentified shooters outside a gurudwara in Canada’s Surrey.  

“Over the past number of weeks, 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 said.  

The MEA statement earlier in the day further said such allegations seek to divert the attention from Khalistani terrorists and extremists in Canada and continue to threaten India’s sovereignty and integrity. It further said that the space given to illegal activities such as murders, human trafficking, and organised crime in Canada is not new. 

Soon after the Canadian PM’s allegations against India, Canada Foreign Minister Melanie Joly said that the Canadian government expelled an Indian diplomat, the head of R&AW in Canada, over allegations of India’s involvement in Nijjar’s killing. She did not give out any personal details about the diplomat or the place from where he was expelled. 

Also Read: Canada PM Justin Trudeau accuses Indian govt of involvement in killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar

Also Read: ‘Absurd and motivated’: Indian govt rejects Trudeau’s allegation; says they seek to shift focus away from Khalistanis