The Indian foreign ministry has instructed a senior Canadian diplomat to depart from India within a five-day period.
This directive comes shortly after Ottawa expelled an Indian diplomat, intensifying tensions stemming from the earlier killing of a Sikh separatist this year.
In a statement released on Tuesday, the ministry said, “The concerned diplomat has been asked to leave India within the next five days.
“The decision reflects the Government of India’s growing concern at the interference of Canadian diplomats in our internal matters and their involvement in anti-India activities.”
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, on Monday, during his address to the parliament, mentioned that he discussed the matter of Hardeep Singh Nijjar’s death with Prime Minister Modi at the recent Group of 20 (G20) summit in New Delhi.
Trudeau conveyed to Modi that any potential involvement of the Indian government in this issue would not be tolerated and requested collaboration in the ongoing investigation.
On Monday, Ottawa declared its intent to thoroughly investigate credible claims connecting agents of the Indian government to the assassination of Nijjar, a prominent Sikh separatist leader, outside a cultural center in Surrey, British Columbia, on June 18.
It is worth noting that Nijjar was reportedly involved in organizing an unofficial referendum in India, seeking independence for a Sikh nation, at the time of his tragic demise.
Nijjar, a well-known Sikh figure in western Canada, was tragically shot in June by two masked assailants while sitting in his vehicle outside a Sikh temple in Surrey, British Columbia, as reported by local law enforcement.
Canada’s claim that India might have had a role in the killing of a Sikh activist within its borders has sparked an escalating dispute between Ottawa and New Delhi.
This dispute has led to the expulsion of high-ranking diplomats from both sides and a significant deterioration in the bilateral relationship between the two nations.
Frances Ibiefo
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