“Canadian diplomats exit India amid tensions over Sikh leader’s murder allegations.”
Forty-one Canadian diplomats have recently departed from India in the midst of a dispute concerning the murder of a Sikh separatist leader within Canadian borders. Two weeks ago, India formally requested Canada to recall a significant portion of its diplomatic personnel and issued a warning to revoke their diplomatic immunity if they chose to remain. Canadian officials characterized this threat as a breach of international law.
Tensions have escalated due to Canada’s allegations that India was involved in the assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar on June 18. India vehemently denied these accusations, deeming them as absurd.
Canada’s Foreign Minister, Melanie Joly, confirmed that numerous Canadian diplomats and their families have now left India. India has also indicated that it plans to unilaterally remove diplomatic immunity for “all but 21 diplomats” by October 20.
The remaining 21 diplomats are still in India, but this departure will necessitate Canada scaling down its services in the country, causing delays in processing times for immigration applications, particularly affecting Indian citizens, including international students seeking to study in Canada.
India claims that Canada had more diplomats in Delhi than India had in Ottawa, demanding parity in diplomatic representation. However, Global Affairs data suggests that both nations had roughly equivalent numbers.
In response to India’s decision to remove diplomatic immunity for Canadian envoys, Minister Joly emphasized that this action was a violation of international law and asserted that Canada would not reciprocate.
Canada still welcomes Indian nationals wishing to visit or relocate to the country. Relations between Canada and India have reached a historic low after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau asserted credible evidence of a potential link between India and Nijjar’s murder based on Canadian intelligence. India’s alleged involvement is perceived by Canada as a violation of its sovereignty.
Hardeep Singh Nijjar was assassinated by two masked gunmen outside the Sikh temple he led in Surrey, British Columbia, characterized as a “targeted attack” by Canadian law enforcement. An ongoing investigation is in progress. Nijjar was an outspoken advocate for the creation of a separate Sikh state in India, known as Khalistan—a movement that India vehemently opposes. In 2020, India designated him as a terrorist.
Despite the public accusations, Prime Minister Trudeau has stressed that Canada does not seek to escalate tensions with India and has called upon Indian authorities to cooperate with the investigation into Nijjar’s murder.
