Following Canada’s deportation of a senior Indian diplomat, blaming India for the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar of Indian origin, India announced that it had deported a senior Canadian diplomat.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau recently spoke in parliament and announced that there were “credible allegations” that India was involved in the murder of Indian-origin Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in June. Announcing the deportation of a senior Indian diplomat from Canada today regarding the incident, Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs Melanie Joy said, “Allegations that a representative of a foreign government may have been involved in the murder of a Canadian citizen here in Canada, on Canadian soil, are not only disturbing, but also absolutely unacceptable.
If proven true, this would be a grave violation of our sovereignty and of the most fundamental rule of how countries relate to each other. “We have made it clear that we will not tolerate foreign interference of any kind,” she explained.
In return, the Indian Ministry of Foreign Affairs made the following statement today;
“Canada’s High Commissioner to India was summoned today and informed of the Government of India’s decision to deport a senior Canadian diplomat based in India. The diplomat concerned has been asked to leave India within the next five days. “The decision reflects the Government of India’s growing concern about Canadian diplomats’ interference in our internal affairs and involvement in anti-India activities.”
KILLING OF HARDEEP SINGH NIJJAR
Hardeep Singh Nijjar (45) settled in Canada in 1997 as one of the leaders of a Sikh separatist group in India. Nijjar and his supporters want the establishment of a separate Khalistani state. India stated that Nijjar was a terrorist and held Nijjar responsible for some assassinations in the country. After Hardeep Singh Nijjar was shot and killed in his car in Canada on June 18, tensions rose between his supporters and the Indian government and led to protests in Canada.