The Canadian Foreign Ministry announced yesterday, Monday, the expulsion of 6 diplomats and officials at the Indian consulate, in connection with the investigation into the assassination of a separatist Sikh leader in the province of "British Columbia" last year.

India took a similar step, expelling 6 Canadian diplomats, including the acting High Commissioner, claiming it had withdrawn its envoy from Canada and that he was not expelled.

Why did the two countries take these steps?

The diplomatic relationship between the two Commonwealth member countries has been tense since last year, when Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that he had evidence linking Indian agents to the assassination of a separatist leader in his country.

For its part, the Canadian police stated that it possesses information implicating Indian government agents in committing criminal activities targeting members of the South Asian community in Canada.

Trudeau said that the activities carried out by Indian agents in Canada included covert techniques for gathering information, targeting Canadians of Indian descent, and engaging in threatening and violent acts.

Trudeau considered that India had made a fundamental mistake, while India stated that Canada is pursuing a political agenda.

The Canadian Foreign Ministry confirmed that its decision to expel Indian diplomats came after it was assured of their involvement in the Nijar case.

India, on the other hand, stated that it withdrew its diplomats due to the lack of guarantees for their safety on Canadian soil.

Sequence of Events

Harib Singh Nijar - 45 years old - was a Canadian citizen of Sikh descent fighting for an independent homeland for Sikhs from India.

Nijar was shot dead on June 18, 2023, while he was outside a Sikh temple in Surrey, one of the suburbs of Vancouver with a large Sikh population.

On September 1, 2023, a Canadian trade official stated that his country had halted talks with India regarding a proposed trade agreement, in an unexpected move.

A few days after that step, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his concerns to Canadian Prime Minister about the protesting Sikh separatists in Canada.

On September 18, Trudeau stated that the Canadian government is seeking more evidence linking Indian government agents to Nijar's assassination.

The next day, India responded to Trudeau's allegations, calling them "absurd", and both countries carried out a mutual expulsion of one diplomat from the other side, with Canada expelling the top Indian intelligence officer in the country while India expelled his Canadian counterpart.

In the same month, India prohibited the issuance of visas to Canadians and asked Ottawa to reduce its diplomatic presence in India, but it resumed visa issuance two months later.

In mid-October 2023, Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly stated that Canada withdrew 41 diplomats from India amid a dispute over Nijar's assassination.

By the end of October, British Columbia witnessed large protests involving tens of thousands of Sikhs who gathered at the place of worship where Nijar was killed to vote in an unofficial referendum to create their independent state.

On November 21, 2023, India's anti-terrorism agency filed a case against Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, the Sikh separatist, stating that he threatened Indian Airlines passengers in a video message that their lives were in danger.

On April 30, a report from the White House indicated that information regarding the involvement of an Indian intelligence officer in Nijar's assassination is serious.

In May 2024, Canadian police charged three individuals in connection with Nijar's murder, according to a source directly familiar with the matter.

On August 27, 2024, Canadian police warned Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, one of Nijar's aides, of an increasing threat to his life, according to a prominent Sikh separatist.

Repairing the Rift

During October 2023, Canada withdrew more than 40 diplomats from India after New Delhi asked Ottawa to reduce its diplomatic presence.

Canada is considered the largest home for Sikh citizens outside their native Punjab, and protests in recent years have raised India’s ire.

The Indian opposition urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to try to repair the rift in relations between India and Canada following the expulsion of diplomats.

The spokesperson for the opposition Congress party, Jairam Ramesh, stated that the party expects Modi to trust the leaders of other political parties regarding the "very sensitive and delicate issue of the deterioration of Indian-Canadian relations."