Canada has expelled six Indian diplomats and consular officials due to an investigation into the murder of a Sikh separatist leader in British Columbia last year, according to the foreign ministry’s announcement on Monday. Earlier, India claimed to have expelled six senior Canadian diplomats, including the acting high commissioner, and stated it had withdrawn its envoy from Canada, contradicting Canada’s claim that it had expelled the envoy.
Tensions between Canada and India have been high since last year, when Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged he had evidence linking Indian agents to the assassination of the Sikh separatist leader. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police reported possessing substantial information about extensive criminal activities orchestrated by Indian government agents targeting the South Asian community in Canada.
- June 18, 2023: Hardeep Singh Nijjar, 45, a Canadian citizen advocating for an independent Sikh homeland in India, is shot dead outside a Sikh temple in Surrey, a Vancouver suburb with a large Sikh population.
- Sept. 1, 2023: Canada pauses trade treaty talks with India, surprising many after both countries had planned to finalize an initial agreement by the end of 2023.
- Sept. 10, 2023: During a G20 summit in New Delhi, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expresses concerns to Trudeau regarding Sikh separatist protests in Canada.
- Sept. 18, 2023: Trudeau informs parliament that Canada is “actively pursuing credible allegations” linking Indian government agents to Nijjar’s murder.
- Sept. 19, 2023: India dismisses Trudeau’s claims as “absurd,” and both countries engage in tit-for-tat expulsions, with Canada expelling India’s top intelligence officer and India retaliating by expelling Canada’s counterpart.
- Sept. 22, 2023: India suspends issuing new visas for Canadians and demands a reduction in Canada’s diplomatic presence in the country. Visa issuance resumes two months later.
- Oct. 19, 2023: Canada withdraws 41 diplomats from India amid the ongoing dispute over Nijjar’s murder, according to Foreign Minister Melanie Joly.
- Oct. 29, 2023: Thousands of Sikhs gather in Surrey, British Columbia, at the same gurdwara where Nijjar was killed, to vote in an unofficial referendum on establishing an independent Sikh state.
- Nov. 21, 2023: India’s anti-terror agency files charges against Sikh separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, alleging that he threatened Air India passengers in social media videos.
- Nov. 22, 2023: A senior U.S. official confirms that American authorities thwarted a plot to kill Pannun and issued a warning to India over suspected government involvement.
- Feb. 5, 2024: India’s High Commissioner states in an interview that India will not share information with Canadian investigators regarding Nijjar’s murder until Canada provides evidence.
- April 30, 2024: The White House calls a report by The Washington Post, which alleges direct involvement by an Indian intelligence officer in Nijjar’s murder and a foiled assassination plot against Pannun, a serious matter. India’s foreign ministry denies the claims.
- May 3, 2024: Canadian police charge three individuals connected to Nijjar’s murder, according to a source familiar with the case.
- Aug. 27, 2024: Canadian authorities warn Pannun of an increased threat to his life, as reported by a prominent Sikh separatist.
