Canada has expelled six Indian diplomats following warnings from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) about a “targeted campaign” against Indian dissidents in the country by agents linked to the government of India.
According to an RCMP statement, the “extraordinary situation” compelled the Canadian police force to forgo its “normal process”, which said that it felt it necessary to do so at this time “due to the significant threat to public safety in our country”.
In its statement, the RCMP said that in recent years law enforcement agencies have investigated and charged a number of individuals in relation to “homicides, extortions and other criminal acts of violence”.
The RCMP provide a statement on violent criminal activity occurring in Canada with connections to agents of the Government of India: https://t.co/nEXPSPJKPu pic.twitter.com/0FB5e1oT9L
— RCMP (@rcmpgrcpolice) October 14, 2024
“In addition, there has been well over a dozen credible and imminent threats to life which have led to the conduct of Duty to Warn by law enforcement with members of the South Asian community, and specifically members of the pro-Khalistan movement. As a result, in February 2024, the RCMP created a multidisciplinary team to investigate and coordinate efforts to combat this threat.
“The team has learned a significant amount of information about the breadth and depth of criminal activity orchestrated by agents of the Government of India, and consequential threats to the safety and security of Canadians and individuals living in Canada,” it said.
Despite law enforcement efforts, “the harm has continued,” the RCMP said, adding that evidence it has obtained highlights four “key issues”:
“Violent extremism impacting both countries; Links tying agents of the Government of India (GOI) to homicides and violent acts; The use of organized crime to create a perception of an unsafe environment targeting the South Asian Community in Canada; and Interference into democratic processes.”
Following the RCMP’s public claim that Indian diplomats have used their positions to engage in “clandestine activities,” the Canadian government announced that six Indian diplomats and consular officials, including its high commissioner, had received a notice of expulsion from Canada.
Keeping Canadians safe is our government's top priority.
— Mélanie Joly (@melaniejoly) October 15, 2024
The decision to expel individuals was based on clear evidence gathered by the RCMP in the Nijjar case.
We urge the Indian government to support our ongoing investigation for the benefit of both countries. https://t.co/7NUy6op9mf
In response, India contradicted the Canadian announcement of expulsion by saying that it was instead withdrawing its diplomats, while announcing that it in turn was expelling six Canadian diplomats, including the high commissioner.
The Indian Ministry of External Affairs said in response to the claims that it rejects the “preposterous imputations” and “ascribes them to the political agenda of the Trudeau Government that is centered around vote bank politics”.
“Since Prime Minister Trudeau made certain allegations in September 2023, the Canadian Government has not shared a shred of evidence with the Government of India, despite many requests from our side. This latest step follows interactions that have again witnessed assertions without any facts. This leaves little doubt that on the pretext of an investigation, there is a deliberate strategy of smearing India for political gains,” the Indian MEA said.
The latest exchange represents the deepening of an ongoing diplomatic row between the two countries, the relationship weakening after last year Canadian PM Justin Trudeau said that he had evidence linking Indian agents to the assassination of Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar on Canadian territory.
Hardeep Singh Nijjar was shot and killed in June last year by two masked gunmen outside a Sikh temple that he led in British Columbia.
A prominent supporter of the Khalistan movement, which seeks the establishment of a separate Sikh homeland, India had previously described him as a terrorist.
Canadian police described his killing as a “targeted attack”.