India Expels Six Canadian Diplomats, Calls Back HC From Canada

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India Expels Six Canadian Diplomats Amid Strained relations

By Raisina Correspondent

New Delhi, October 14: In a fast-paced development, India on Monday expelled six Canadian diplomats. India also asked high commissioner in Canada Sanjay Kumar Verma to return to New Delhi.

India has asked acting high commissioner of Canada Steward Ross Heeler to leave New Delhi by Saturday, October 18. Patrick Hebert, deputy high commissioner, has also been asked to leave India.

“Marie Catherine Joly, First Secretary; lan Ross David Trites, First Secretary; Adam James Chuipka, First Secretary; and Paula Orjuela, First Secretary have been asked to leave India by or before 11:59 PM on Saturday, October 19, 2024,” said the Ministry of External Affairs in a media statement on Monday evening.

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Expulsion of top Canadian diplomats came after India asked top diplomatic officials to leave Canada immediately. The diplomatic spat took turns for worse after Canada accused Vema and other Indian embassy officials of involvement in the killing of Khalistani activist Hardeet Singh Nijjar.

Canadian Prime Minister Justine Trudeau had a few days ago had claimed that he had spoken to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly meeting. The accusations against the Indian High Commission officials followed the statement of Trudeau.

The Canadian prime minister had once again stated that Canada will take action against killings of citizens on its soil. India has trashed charges of Canada.

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India has termed the killing of Nijjar in 2023 as a fallout of local gang war. Nijjar before his killing had also visited Pakistan where he was seen with a terrorist.

India had previously warned Canada to not bring domestic political compulsions into bilateral relations. Trudeau is dependent for political survivals on Sikh vote base in Canada.

Former Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh had also warned Trudeau from appeasing the militant Sikh activists in Canada. But Trudeau is soon going to face elections in Canada where the Sikh vote base is crucial.

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Trudeau had first made the sensational allegations against India during his statement in parliament. He had claimed “credible evidences to link the Indian officials in the killing of Nijjar”.

Afterwards, media reports claimed that Trudeau had made allegations against India on basis of intelligence inputs shared by ‘Five Eyes’. The US, the UK, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand constitute intelligence sharing network ‘Five Eyes’.

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