India-Canada Expel Each Other's Diplomats After Assassination of Sikh Leader
India-Canada expel each other's spies disguised as diplomats. The shooting spree occurred after the murder of a Sikh figure in Canada
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Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (right) welcomed Canadian PM Justin Trudeau at the Bharat Mandapam, the venue of the G20 Summit in New Delhi, India, on Saturday (9/9/2023). India and Canada have expelled diplomats from each other's countries earlier this week.
NEW DELHI, TUESDAY — India-Canada expel each other's diplomats. The expulsion clash occurred after Canada accused Indian diplomats of being involved in murders in Canada. The victim was Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a prominent member of the Sikh community in Canada.
On Tuesday (19/9/2023), Indian media outlet Hindustan Times reported the expulsion of someone from New Delhi. The report did not explicitly mention who was expelled, but the Hindustan Times identified Olivier Sylvestere as the individual who was expelled. According to a source from Hindustan Times, Sylvestere is the head spy of Canada in India.
The expulsion of Sylvestere was carried out after Ottawa expelled one of the diplomats from the Indian Embassy in Ottawa. Unlike New Delhi, Ottawa revealed the identity of the expelled diplomat. He is called Pavan Kumar Rai. Like Sylvestere, Rai is also a spy disguised as a diplomat.
Previously, in a statement to parliament on Monday (18/9/2023), Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau mentioned that Canada's intelligence agency is investigating the murder case of Nijjar. The Sikh figure was killed after being shot on June 18, 2023 in one of the Sikh temples in Surrey, British Columbia.
Trudeau stated that an investigation into allegations that the Indian government may be involved in the death of Nijjar is currently ongoing. Trudeau also mentioned discussing the murder with Indian PM Narendra Modi during the G20 summit last week in India.
To Modi, Trudeau said that the involvement of the Government of India is not acceptable and he requested cooperation in the investigation. "Over the past few weeks, Canadian security agencies have actively pursued credible allegations regarding the possible relationship between Government of India agents and the murder of a Canadian citizen, Hardeep Singh Nijjar," said Trudeau.
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Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Melanie Joly, attended the G20 Foreign Ministers Meeting in Nusa Dua, Badung, Bali, on Friday (8/7/2022).
Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly stated that the murder could be a case of sovereignty violation. "If proven true, this will be a major infringement on our sovereignty and the most fundamental rules of how nations interact with each other," she said.
"As a consequence, we have expelled a high-ranking Indian diplomat," added Joly.
There are over 770,000 Sikh people in Canada. This number is equivalent to two percent of Canada's total population.
Trudeau stated that Canada has expressed deep concerns to the Government of India. "The involvement of foreign governments in the killing of Canadian citizens on Canadian soil is a violation of our sovereignty that is unacceptable," emphasized Trudeau.
In a statement on Tuesday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of India rejected Ottawa's accusations. New Delhi called the accusations "unreasonable and specific". The ministry also confirmed that Trudeau made similar allegations when he met Modi in New Delhi.
The Indian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated, "Such unfounded accusations aim to divert attention from Khalistan terrorists and extremists, who have been given protection in Canada and continue to threaten India's sovereignty and territorial integrity. India is concerned about the sluggishness of the Canadian Government."
New Delhi reported that Modi has raised the concern to Trudeau during their meeting on the sidelines of the G20 summit. Modi is concerned about Canada's handling of the Sikh independence movement among the Sikh or Indian diaspora in the country.
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Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the 20th ASEAN-India Summit in Jakarta on Thursday (7/9/2023). This conference is part of the 43rd ASEAN Summit which took place from 5-7 September 2023.
The statement also mentioned the Sikh movement as "supporters of independence and instigators of violence" against Indian diplomats in Canada. The Indian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has requested Canada's collaboration in facing what New Delhi has declared as a threat to the Indian diaspora in Canada.
Joly stated that Trudeau also discussed the murder with US President Joe Biden and UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. "We are deeply concerned about the accusations made by Prime Minister Trudeau," said White House National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson.
"We continue to maintain regular contact with our partner, Canada. The investigation in Canada must continue and the perpetrator must be prosecuted," Watson emphasized.
