India-Canada: India counterattacks! Expels Canadian diplomat, asked to leave within 5 days

India-Canada relations take another blow as the Ministry of External Affairs expelled a senior Canadian diplomat to India in a reciprocal move to Canada expelling a senior Indian diplomat on Tuesday. This development comes after India rejected the allegations of Canadian PM Justin Trudeau as “absurd and motivated” after he linked India with the killing of a Khalistani extremist in Canada in June this year.

Canada diplomat expelled from India

Canadian High Commissioner to India, Cameron MacKay was summoned today to the South Block, the headquarters of the Ministry of External Affairs.

“The High Commissioner of Canada to India was summoned today and informed about the decision of the Government of India to expel a senior Canadian diplomat based in India,” a statement from the Ministry of External Affairs said today.

“The concerned diplomat has been asked to leave India within the next five days. The decision reflects the Government of India’s growing concern at the interference of Canadian diplomats in our internal matters and their involvement in anti-India activities,” it said.

Indian diplomat expelled

On Monday Canada Foreign Minister Melanie Joly said that an Indian diplomat in Canada had been expelled, after Trudeau’s claim on India’s involvement in the killing of the Khalistani leader, Harshdeep Singh Nijjar.

According to media reports, Joly spoke about the expulsion in a news conference and said “ We see this possible breach of sovereignty as completely unacceptable, and so, that is also why we’re coming (out) with this information (of the expulsion of the Indian diplomat) today.”

Meanwhile, the MEA issued a statement earlier on Tuesday, rejecting all allegations of the Canadian PM’s claims made in the Canadian Parliament on Monday.

“We have seen and reject the statement of the Canadian Prime Minister in their Parliament, as also the statement by their Foreign Minister,” said the MEA in an official statement.

“Allegations of the Indian government’s “involvement in any act of violence in Canada are absurd and motivated” a statement said.

“Such unsubstantiated allegations seek to shift the focus from Khalistani terrorists and extremists, who have been provided shelter in Canada and continue to threaten India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. The inaction of the Canadian Government on this matter has been a long-standing and continuing concern,” the MEA statement said.

Trudeau’s speech plummets India-Canada relation

Earlier on Monday, speaking in a debate in the Canadian Parliament, Canadian PM Trudeau claimed his country’s national security officials had reasons to believe that “agents of the Indian government” carried out the killing of the Canadian citizen, who also served as the president of Surrey’s Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara.

“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.

He stated that the involvement of a foreign hand or government in the killing of a Canadian citizen in Canada was unacceptable. “Any involvement of a foreign government in the killing of a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil is an unacceptable violation of our sovereignty. It is contrary to the fundamental rules by which free, open, and democratic societies conduct themselves,” Trudeau added.

(With agency inputs)