Canada expels Indian diplomat over killing of Khalistani terrorist

Ottawa:  In a startling diplomatic move, Canada has accused India of being involved in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar last June. As a retaliatory measure, Canada has expelled India’s top intelligence chief in Ottawa.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau addressed an emergency session of the parliamentary opposition, stating that his government possesses “credible allegations” linking Indian agents to the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia in June.

He called upon the Indian government to cooperate in clarifying the matter and urged them to do so in the strongest terms.

Foreign Minister Melanie Jolie confirmed that Canada had taken immediate action by expelling a senior Indian diplomat without disclosing the official’s name.

However, reports suggest that the expelled official is the head of India’s foreign intelligence agency, the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), in Canada.

Hardeep Singh Nijjar, previously declared a wanted terrorist by India, was fatally shot on June 18 in Surrey, a suburb of Vancouver with a significant Sikh community. He had been accused of carrying out terrorist attacks in India.

Tensions between India and Canada had been simmering over the unsolved murder and India’s dissatisfaction with how Canada handled individuals associated with Khalistani groups. New Delhi had accused Ottawa of turning a blind eye to the activities of Khalistani supporters.

As of now, India has not immediately responded to Canada’s allegations. The tension between the two countries escalated during the G20 summit in New Delhi earlier this month, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressing concerns about extremist activities in Canada during a meeting with Trudeau.