India ordered the expulsion of six Canadian diplomats on Monday and withdrew its own High Commissioner from Canada in response to Ottawa naming Indian officials, including the envoy, as “persons of interest” in an ongoing investigation.
While India did not disclose specifics about the investigation, tensions have been high since 2023, when Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused Indian agents of being involved in the assassination of a Sikh separatist leader in Canada. India has consistently denied the allegation, and on Monday, dismissed the inquiry, accusing Trudeau of pushing a “political agenda.”
India’s foreign ministry stated, “We have no faith in the current Canadian government’s commitment to ensure their security. Therefore, the Government of India has decided to withdraw the High Commissioner and other targeted diplomats and officials.” The ministry also confirmed it had summoned Canadian Charge d’Affaires Stewart Wheeler to protest and gave the six Canadian diplomats until Saturday to leave.
Canada’s government has not officially confirmed naming Indian officials as persons of interest, though Wheeler reiterated Trudeau’s earlier claims, stating, “Canada has provided credible, irrefutable evidence of ties between agents of the Government of India and the murder of a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil.”
India has consistently argued that Canada has not provided evidence to substantiate these claims, calling the latest developments a part of a “deliberate strategy of smearing India for political gains.”
This escalation follows Canada’s withdrawal of over 40 diplomats from India in October 2023, after New Delhi requested a reduction in Canada’s diplomatic presence. Relations between the two nations, as well as with the U.S., have been strained due to accusations of assassination plots targeting Sikh separatist leaders in both countries.
The situation has complicated efforts to strengthen ties with India, especially as both Canada and the U.S. seek deeper cooperation to counter China’s growing influence.
