Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau claims that India assassinated a Sikh community leader on Canadian soil in June, prompting an order to expel an Indian diplomat.
The alleged killing happened in British Columbia, and the recent allegations by the prime minister are expected to worsen relations between the two countries further. Trudeau spoke at the House of Commons, where he said that he had raised India's involvement in the shooting of Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
Justin Trudeau Accuses India of Killing on Canadian Soil
Trudeau said that he talked directly with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Group of 20 summit meeting that was held earlier this month. The prime minister noted that the allegation was based on intelligence gathered by the Canadian government.
Additionally, the Canadian prime minister said that any involvement of a foreign government in the murder of a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil is an unacceptable violation of the country's sovereignty. He argued that the nation would pressure India to cooperate with the investigation into the incident, as per the New York Times.
Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly later announced that the North American country had expelled an Indian diplomat, the head of India's intelligence agency in Canada. The prime minister added that many residents who had Indian origin made up roughly 4% of the population.
They have been angered by the killing of the Sikh community leader and, in some cases, expressed fear for their safety. There are roughly 1.4 million Canadians who have Indian heritage, many of whom are Sikhs. They include several well-known individuals, such as Jagmeet Singh, the leader of the opposition New Democratic Party.
Trudeau's allegation against India is expected to impact the two nations' relationship negatively. Canada suspended negotiations earlier this month regarding a trade deal with India scheduled to be concluded by this year.
India's Sikh Movement
The prime minister said that Canadian intelligence agencies have been investigating the allegations after Nijjar was gunned down outside a Sikh cultural center in Surrey. Joly added that if the allegations are proven to be true, it would violate the most basic rule of how nations deal with each other, according to the Associated Press.
Modi allegedly expressed "strong concerns" at the G20 meeting over Canada's handling of the Punjabi independence movement. India's Ministry of External Affairs released a statement that described the Sikh movement as "promoting secessionism and inciting violence" against Indian diplomats.
The Indian government then called on Canada to cooperate on what New Delhi described as a threat to the Canadian Indian diaspora. Trudeau noted that his government also worked with allies to investigate the case.
The situation comes as Canadian police have not yet made any arrests in relation to the shooting murder of the Sikh community leader. But in August, police officials released a statement that said they had moved to investigate three potential suspects and issued a description of a possible getaway vehicle, asking for help from the public, said CNN.
