India-Canada row live updates: Trudeau says India made ‘monumental mistake’ in assisting violent acts against Canadians

India-Canada row LIVE updates: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau participates in a news conference on the investigative efforts related to violent criminal activity occurring in Canada with connections to India, on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, on Monday, Oct. 14, 2024.

In a tit-for-tat move, Canada also expelled six Indian officials. The row snowballed when Canadian police named the Indian ambassador and other diplomats as “persons of interest” in a probe linked to the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

The Indian government expressed grave concerns regarding the safety of its diplomats, citing an atmosphere of “extremism and violence” fostered by the Trudeau government. In a release, the MEA stated, “We have no faith in the current Canadian Government’s commitment to ensure their security,” prompting the decision to withdraw India’s High Commissioner to Canada, Sanjay Kumar Verma, along with other targeted officials.

Also read | India livid after Canada wanted to interrogate its diplomats over Nijjar murder

India termed Canada’s move to investigate its diplomats as “preposterous” and part of the political agenda of the Justin Trudeau government.

This diplomatic spat follows a series of allegations made by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau last year, claiming credible evidence linking India to the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar. India has categorically denied these accusations, labelling them as “absurd” and part of a political agenda aimed at “vote bank politics” within Canada.

Timeline of the India-Canada diplomatic row:

– September 2023: Justin Trudeau tells parliament that Canada was investigating Indian government agents’ links to Nijjar’s killing. Nijjar, who India designated as a terrorist in 2020, was shot dead by masked gunmen outside a Sikh temple in British Columbia.

– September 2023: India suspends issuing new visas for Canadians and asked Ottawa to reduce its diplomatic presence in India. India resumes issuing visas two months later.

– October 2023: Canada withdrew 41 diplomats from India amid the dispute.

– November 2023: India’s anti-terror agency, National Investistion Agency (NIA), files a case against Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a Sikh separatist, stating that he warned Air India passengers in video messages shared on social media that their lives were in danger.

– February 2024: India’s High Commissioner says in an interview with Canada’s Globe and Mail newspaper that India will not provide information to Canadian investigators over Nijjar’s murder until Canada shares evidence.

– August 2024: Canadian police warn Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, an aide to Nijjar, of an increased threat to his life, a prominent Sikh separatist says.

October 2024: India expels six Canadian diplomats and recalls its ambassador after they are designated as “persons of interest” in its probe into the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

Also read | Canada’s Justin Trudeau doubles down on India amid diplomatic row over Hardeep Nijjar killing: ‘Attacked me personally’

As diplomatic relations worsen, analysts fear that these developments could further complicate the already strained ties between the two countries. The situation remains fluid, with both sides preparing for possible retaliatory measures. The MEA has signalled that it retains the right to take further actions in response to what it views as ongoing provocations from the Canadian government.