'Clearly on notice': Canadian foreign minister on remaining Indian diplomats as tensions escalate

Trudeau and the RCMP have alleged that Indian diplomats were involved in targeting Khalistani separatists in Canada by sharing their information with the Indian government.

Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Melanie Joly, on Friday, stated that the remaining Indian diplomats in the country are “clearly on notice” following the identification of the Indian High Commissioner in Ottawa as a person of interest in the assassination of Khalistani separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

Joly also stated that the Canadian government will not tolerate any diplomats who violate the Vienna Convention or endanger the lives of Canadians.

On Monday, India expelled six Canadian diplomats and announced the withdrawal of its High Commissioner in Canada, rejecting Ottawa's allegations that connected the envoy to the investigation into the assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Canada, however, stated that it had expelled six Indian diplomats from the country.

Drawing a stark comparison between India and Russia, Joly indicated that Canada’s national police force has linked Indian diplomats to serious offenses, including homicides, death threats, and intimidation within Canadian borders.

“We’ve never seen that in our history. Such a level of transnational repression cannot occur on Canadian soil. We’ve observed this behavior in Europe, notably from Russia in Germany and the UK, and it is crucial for us to stand firm on this issue,” she declared during a press conference in Montreal.

When asked if additional Indian diplomats would be expelled, Joly reiterated that they are “clearly on notice,” confirming that the six expelled included the High Commissioner in Ottawa, while the others were primarily based in Toronto and Vancouver. “We will not tolerate any diplomats who contravene the Vienna Convention,” she asserted.

"They are clearly on notice. Six of them have been expelled including the high commissioner in Ottawa. Others were mainly from Toronto and Vancouver and clearly, we won't tolerate any diplomats that are in contravention of the Vienna convention," she remarked.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) have publicly alleged that Indian diplomats were involved in targeting Khalistani separatists in Canada by sharing their information with the Indian government. The RCMP specifically called out the Bishnoi crime gang, stating that high-ranking Indian officials were relaying information about Sikh separatists to organized crime groups in India, which were then allegedly targeting these activists.

The relationship between India and Canada has sharply deteriorated since Trudeau's September 2023 allegations regarding the "potential" involvement of Indian agents in Nijjar’s assassination in Surrey, British Columbia.

India has categorically rejected these accusations as unfounded and politically motivated. Furthermore, Indian officials have slammed Trudeau’s government for its perceived leniency towards supporters of the Khalistan movement residing in Canada, further escalating diplomatic tensions.

(With inputs from agencies)