Canada expels Indian diplomat as it probes India’s possible link to Sikh activist’s slaying

Toronto: Canada expelled a apical Indian diplomat connected Monday arsenic it investigates what Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called credible allegations that India’s authorities whitethorn person had links to the assassination successful Canada of a Sikh activist.

Trudeau said successful parliament that Canadian quality agencies person been looking into the allegations aft Sikh person Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a beardown protagonist of an autarkic Sikh homeland known arsenic Khalistan, was gunned down connected June 18 extracurricular a Sikh taste centre successful Surrey, British Columbia.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.Credit: Bloomberg

Trudeau told Parliament that helium brought up the slaying with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi astatine the G20 past week, that helium told Modi that immoderate Indian authorities engagement would beryllium unacceptable and that helium asked for practice successful the investigation.

Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly said the caput of Indian quality successful Canada has been expelled arsenic a consequence. “If proven existent this would beryllium a large usurpation of our sovereignty and of the astir basal regularisation of however countries woody with each other,” Joly said. “As a effect we person expelled a apical Indian diplomat.”

The Indian Embassy successful Ottawa did not instantly reply telephone calls from The Associated Press seeking comment.

“Over the past fig of weeks Canadian information agencies person been actively pursuing credible allegations of a imaginable nexus betwixt agents of the authorities of India and the sidesplitting of a Canadian citizen, Hardeep Singh Nijjar,” Trudeau said.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomes Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau upon his accomplishment astatine the G20 Summit successful New Delhi this month.Credit: AP

Trudeau said Canada has declared its heavy concerns to the Indian government.

“Last week astatine the G20 I brought them personally and straight to Prime Minister Modi successful nary uncertain terms,” Trudeau said. “Any engagement of a overseas authorities successful the sidesplitting of a Canadian national connected Canadian ungraded is an unacceptable usurpation of our sovereignty.”

Trudeau said his authorities has been moving intimately and coordinating with Canada’s allies connected the case.

“In the strongest imaginable presumption I proceed to impulse the authorities of India to cooperate with Canada to get to the bottommost of this matter,” helium said.

Trudeau said helium knows determination are immoderate members of the Indo-Canadian assemblage who consciousness aggravated oregon frightened, and helium called for calm.

Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc said Canada’s nationalist information advisor and the caput of Canada’s spy work person travelled to India to conscionable their counterparts and to face the Indian quality agencies with the allegations.

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He called it an progressive homicide probe led by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

Joly said Trudeau besides the raised the substance with US President Joe Biden.

Opposition Conservative person Pierre Poilievre said if the allegations are existent they correspond “an outrageous affront to our sovereignty”.

The Khalistan question is banned successful India, wherever officials spot it and affiliated groups arsenic a nationalist information threat. But the question inactive has immoderate enactment successful bluish India, arsenic good arsenic beyond, successful countries similar Canada and the United Kingdom which are location to a sizable Sikh diaspora.

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