# Canada-India diplomatic row

The Canada–India diplomatic row refers to the diplomatic dispute in the Canada–India relations caused in September 2023. India's alleged role in the assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in June 2023 created a diplomatic crisis between Canada and India. While the Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's allegations that the Indian government was involved in the assassination of Nijjar triggered this diplomatic row, the tensions between India and Canada have been largely fuelled by disagreements over the Sikh separatist Khalistan movement and its active supporters.

## Background

Canada has the largest Sikh population outside India. Sikhs who number 770,000, account for nearly 2 percent of Canada’s population.
In March 2023, Canada's High Commissioner was summoned by India to "convey strong concern" over Sikh protesters in Canada and the security breach of India's diplomatic mission and consulates.
In September 2023, on the sidelines of the G20 summit in New Delhi, the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi conveyed concerns about the protests in Canada to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
In 2023, Canada paused talks on a proposed trade treaty with India. In September 2023, Canada announced it has postponed an October trade mission to India.
On 18 September 2023, Prime Minister Trudeau addressing the House of Commons said that "Over the past number of weeks, Canadian security agencies have been actively pursuing credible allegations of a potential link between agents of the government of India and the killing of a Canadian citizen, Hardeep Singh Nijjar". Trudeau stated that he had presented the accusations directly to Prime Minister Modi "in no uncertain terms" during the G20 summit in New Delhi. Trudeau further added that "Any involvement of a foreign government in the killing of a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil is an unacceptable violation of our sovereignty" while urging the Indian government to cooperate in the ongoing investigation.
Indian Ministry of External Affairs rejected Trudeau's allegations in a statement saying that claims of India's "involvement in any act of violence in Canada are absurd and motivated". It added that similar accusations made earlier by Trudeau to Prime Minister Modi had been "completely rejected". The statement further said that "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". India urged Canada "to take prompt and effective legal action against all anti-India elements operating from their soil". It said that Canada's inaction has been "a long-standing and continuing concern".

## Diplomatic row

On 18 September 2023, Canadian foreign affairs minister Melanie Joly announced that Canada had expelled 'Pavan Kumar Rai' — a "senior Indian diplomat". According to Joly, Pavan Kumar Rai was the head of the Canada station of India's foreign intelligence agency — the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW). The High Commission of India in Ottawa lists Rai as the minister responsible for "eco, coordination, community affairs".
In her statement, Joly said that Canada "will not tolerate any form of foreign interference". She added that such action "is not only troubling but it is completely unacceptable". She further said that India's involvement if proven true would be "a great violation of our sovereignty and of the most basic rule of how countries deal with each other".
On 19 September 2023, India expelled a top diplomat of Canada with five days' notice to leave the country amid "growing concern at the interference of Canadian diplomats" in India's "internal matters and their involvement in anti-India activities", according to a statement from Indian Ministry of External Affairs.
On 20 September 2023, India warned its citizens due to "growing anti-India activities and politically-condoned hate crimes and criminal violence" to "exercise utmost caution" in Canada. Dominic LeBlanc, Canadian public safety minister, responded to the travel alert saying "Canada is a safe country".
On 21 September 2023, Indian external affairs ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi announced that India has suspended "temporarily the issuance of visas or providing visa services" for all Canadian nationals in all categories, including e-visas and for Canadian citizens applying from third countries, due to "security threats" against its diplomats.
On 24 September 2023, Canada updated its travel advisory for India, advising its citizens there to "remain vigilant and exercise caution" due to "calls for protests and some negative sentiment towards Canada on social media". It urges travellers to "exercise a high degree of caution in India due to the threat of terrorist attacks throughout the country".
In early October, India asked Canada to withdraw 41 of its 62 diplomats from the country and threatened to revoke the diplomatic immunity of diplomats who would remain after a certain date. On 18 October 2023, 41 Canadian diplomats along with 42 of their family members left India. Mélanie Joly, the Canadian foreign minister, said that Canada will temporarily close three consulates in India and concentrate services at its high commission in Delhi, with 21 diplomats remaining in India. Canada's immigration minister, Marc Miller said that the situation would cause delays in the immigration applications and processing of visas for people in India.
On 20 October 2023, India's Ministry of External Affairs issued a statement stating that "Their continued interference in our internal affairs warrant a parity in mutual diplomatic presence in New Delhi and Ottawa".
In November 2023, at the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, India availed the Universal Periodic Review of the human rights records of Canada to request Canada to “prevent misuse of freedom of expression for inciting violence and disallow activities of groups which are promoting extremism”.
In April 2024, the Canadian deputy high commissioner was summoned by India after separatist slogans supporting a Sikh homeland were allegedly raised at a Vaisakhi event addressed by Prime Minister Trudeau.

#### Further escalations (2024)

In April 2024, the Canadian deputy high commissioner was summoned by India after separatist slogans supporting a Sikh homeland were allegedly raised at a Vaisakhi event addressed by Prime Minister Trudeau. In June 2024, Modi and Trudeau met briefly at the G7 summit in Italy, signaling a resumption of dialogue and a reduction in diplomatic tensions. International relations experts have called for Canada and India to find a way forward in their relations due to their engagement in a broad range of geopolitical issues and India's importance for the United States and Canada in their Indo-Pacific strategy.
On 12 October 2024, Canadian officials informed Ajit Doval, India's National Security Advisor, that the Indian High Commissioner Sanjay Kumar Verma, and five other diplomats were persons of interest in various investigations. India announced that it was recalling the diplomats, but Canada claimed that it has expelled the six diplomats. and also expelled six Canadian diplomats from India.
Canadian officials said they had evidence of the involvement of the Indian government in various home invasions, drive-by shootings, arson and two homicides, those of Nijjar and of Sukhdool Singh, shot in Winnipeg on 20 September 2023. They revealed that Indian diplomats intimidated and coerced Canadians, who were seeking immigration documents and/or had family ties in India, to gather intelligence for the RA&W and to surveil targets, who were then attacked by a gang led by Lawrence Bishnoi. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police had arrested several people in connection to homicides and extortion, some of whom were claimed to have been linked to the Government of India, and had alerted twelve Canadian residents of Indian descent based on credible evidence that they could be targeted by Indian agents.

## Reactions

A spokesperson for Australia's Foreign Minister, Penny Wong, stated that “Australia is deeply concerned by these allegations and notes ongoing investigations into this matter. Australia believes all countries should respect sovereignty and the rule of law”.
A spokesperson for the United Kingdom's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said that they "do not agree with the decisions taken by the Indian government that have resulted in a number of Canadian diplomats departing India". The statement added that they "continue to encourage India to engage with Canada on its independent investigation into the death of Hardeep Singh Nijjar".
The United States Department of State spokesperson Matthew Miller said that they "urged the Indian government not to insist upon a reduction in Canada's diplomatic presence and to cooperate in the ongoing Canadian investigation".
The New Zealand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed concern in a statement saying “Now seems the time for more diplomacy, not less,” adding that it expects "all states to uphold their obligations under the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, including in relation to the privileges and immunities of accredited staff”.
According to Michael Kugelman, director of the South Asia Institute at the Wilson Center think-tank, "this may be the lowest level to which this relationship has sunk. It won't be easy to return to the old normal anytime soon".
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