The Justin Trudeau government has accused India of being involved in the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, an alleged Khalistani terrorist, in the city of Surrey in Canada’s British Columbia in June this year.
The charges have added fresh strains to bilateral relations that are going through one of their worst phases.
The Canadian government also expelled "a senior Indian diplomat," Pawan Kumar Rai, and broke diplomatic protocol by identifying him as the head of the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), India’s foreign intelligence agency in Canada.
Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau told his parliament that "agents of the Indian government" carried out the killing of Nijjar, a Canadian national.
Trudeau said, "Any involvement of a foreign government in the killing of a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil is an unacceptable violation of our sovereignty."
He added, "It is contrary to the fundamental rules by which free, open, and democratic societies conduct themselves."
India's Ministry of External Affairs rejected the charges and called them "absurd".
"Such unsubstantiated allegations seek to shift the focus from Khalistani terrorists and extremists, who have been provided shelter in Canada and continue to threaten India's sovereignty and territorial integrity," it said.
"The inaction of the Canadian government on this matter has been a long-standing and continuing concern," the MEA added.
Trudeau’s allegation against India comes days after his return to Canada from an unsuccessful and controversial visit to New Delhi for the G-20 summit, held between September 9 and 10.
But unlike other leaders at the summit who went back happy and satisfied with India’s warm hospitality, the Canadian Prime Minister sulked throughout his stay in India as he felt slighted.
After what was widely reported as his Indian counterpart and host Narendra Modi’s decision to rap him on the knuckles for going soft on the Khalistanis despite India’s repeated complaints and concerns, Trudeau skipped the Indian President Droupadi Murmu’s dinner for the G20 guests.
His departure got delayed after his official aircraft developed a snag.
But Trudeau refused India’s offer for an alternative aircraft to take him back and spent time in his hotel room until a plane was arranged for him by the Canadian government.
On his return, he faced a lot of criticism from detractors for making relations with India worse.
Trudeau’s strong response against India in parliament is part of his attempt to regain his foothold before the domestic audience after his Indian trip.
He also called off an ongoing Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with India.
Trudeau’s decision came as a surprise, as many countries in the West, like the United Kingdom, have been actively pursuing an FTA with India, seen as one of the fastest-growing economies.
However, the Canadian Prime Minister’s actions seemed to have worsened relations.
Recalling of intelligence officials
The posting of intelligence officials as diplomats in each other’s countries is a widely accepted practice.
Though the host countries are aware of the presence of the intelligence officials, barring Pakistan, their expulsion or recall is done discreetly by countries without bringing it into the public domain.
After the departure of the official, media reports have often written about such incidents. But not while they are posted abroad.
Canada’s decision to announce the RAW station chief’s expulsion came as a surprise. India in retaliation asked a senior Canadian diplomat to leave the country within five days.
India and Canada both need each other
Canada is a member of the Group of Seven (G-7), a bloc of the world’s richest countries, and an important trade partner of India.
The two-way trade in 2019 stood at $9.5 billion.
Canada is also an important source of foreign direct investment (FDI) for India and can be a reliable supplier of critical minerals and a strong partner in the green transition for India.
Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy described China as a "disruptive global power" but India as a "critical partner".
The country is a top destination for Indian students, professionals, and skilled workers. India is the second-largest source of immigrants.
Canada is home to a large and vibrant Indian diaspora, of which there are currently around 1.4 million. Of these, 770,000 are Sikhs.
The two sides also enjoy strong people-to-people ties.
However, the Khalistani elements in Canada have hijacked bilateral relations because of Trudeau’s soft-pedalling of India’s concerns over the extremist elements in his country.
"Trudeau sees PM Modi’s domestic policies as detrimental to his own political future and wants to ‘poke him in the eye’," says Canadian political commentator Brian Lilley.
"Given the power of the Sikh community in Canada, Trudeau is siding with the Khalistanis even if it hurts Canada economically," Lilley observed.
He added that Trudeau was catering to his narrow political interests.
However, a survey released by Abacus Data on September 7 showed that 40 percent of the voters would vote for the Conservatives, while 26 percent would vote for Trudeau’s Liberals.
The findings could force Trudeau to cling tightly to the Sikh vote bank. Or a course correction could make him reach out to a wider voter base to raise his stock before the 2025 parliamentary elections in Canada.
Discover the latest Business News, Sensex, and Nifty updates. Obtain Personal Finance insights, tax queries, and expert opinions on Moneycontrol or download the Moneycontrol App to stay updated!
