2023-09-22 12:00:00
INTERNATIONAL – Nothing is going well between Canada and India. On Monday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused the Indian government of being behind the June assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canadian-Indian Sikh and independence activist. Ottawa expelled an Indian diplomat and New Delhi reacted on Tuesday by in turn expelling a Canadian diplomat while rejecting the accusations “absurd” et “politically motivated” by Trudeau. On Thursday, Canada announced its intention to reduce the presence of its diplomats in India, which ceased “temporarily” to process visa applications for Canada.
On June 18, 2023 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Hardeep Singh Nijjar was shot and killed by two masked men in the parking lot of a Sikh temple he led. Campaigner for the creation of “Khalistan”, an independent Sikh state in northern India, he was accused by New Delhi of “terrorism”.
In response to his assassination, hundreds of members of his Sikh community demonstrated to demand an investigation by Canadian authorities, pointing the finger at the Hindu nationalist government of Narendra Modi.
“Absurd” accusations, diplomats expelled
The death of Hardeep Singh Nijjar above all led to a diplomatic crisis between the two countries, and tensions rose a notch last Monday. In front of his parliament, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau declared that “credible elements” collected in recent weeks by the Canadian security services point to “agents of the Indian government”. “Any involvement by a foreign government in the murder of a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil constitutes an unacceptable violation of our sovereignty”he added to the deputies, revealing that he had raised the issue with Modi during the G20 summit which was held at the beginning of September in the capital of the most populous country in the world.
Immediately after Trudeau’s statement, Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly announced that she had ordered the expulsion of an Indian diplomat. This is Pavan Kumar Rai, who is said to be the director of the Indian intelligence services branch in Canada.
New Delhi responded on Tuesday morning. Its Ministry of External Affairs announced that a senior Canadian diplomat, whose identity has not been revealed, has been asked to leave India within five days. Asked about this reaction, Justin Trudeau, who called on his collaborators to “stay calm”claimed not to “seek to provoke or escalate tensions with India. We are simply presenting the facts as we understand them and we want to work with the Indian government to set everything straight”he added.
The Canadian Prime Minister therefore urged New Delhi to “take seriously” this case “extremely serious” with “significant consequences, both in terms of international law and in other aspects for Canada.”
In a statement, India rejected accusations “absurd” et “politically motivated”. Instead, its Ministry of Foreign Affairs called on Canada to act in the face of “terrorists and pro-Khalistan extremists” Who “threaten the sovereignty and territorial integrity of India”. The press release recalls, at the same time, that Narendra Modi “completely refuted” Justin Trudeau’s accusations during their interview at the G20.
Canada reduces its diplomatic staff
The passing of arms experienced a new episode on Thursday September 21. The High Commission (embassy, editor’s note) of Canada announced a “adjustment” of the presence of its diplomats in India following “threats on various social media platforms” against his staff.
“In the current context of increased tensions, we are taking measures to ensure the safety of our diplomats. Some diplomats having received threats on various social media platforms, ‘Global Affairs Canada’ (the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, editor’s note) is evaluating its workforce in India”explained Jean-Pierre J. Godbout, spokesperson for the ministry in an email sent to Canadian media.
“As a result, and out of an abundance of caution, we have decided to temporarily adjust staff presence in India. All of our offices are staffed with diplomats and locally engaged staff to ensure continuity of business and operations.”we added.
Ottawa says it expects India to ensure the security of its diplomats in accordance with the Vienna conventions, but New Delhi is especially worried about its nationals traveling to Canada, “taking into account the increase in anti-Indian activities and hate and criminal crimes with political connotations” in the country. Indians are urged to avoid going to places “where threats have particularly targeted Indian diplomats and sections of the Indian community who oppose the anti-Indian agenda”in reference to the Sikh community.
India also said Thursday that it had requested a reduction in the number of Canadian diplomats on its territory, communicating its decision to stop “temporarily” processing visa applications in Canada. “Important Notice from Indian Mission: For operational reasons, effective September 21, 2023, Indian visa services have been suspended until further notice”, warns on its website BLS International, an Indian provider of outsourcing services for government and diplomatic missions.
A sign of a diplomatic impasse, Canada, which is home to the largest community of Sikhs abroad, had recently suspended negotiations related to a free trade agreement with India. A trip by the Canadian Minister of Commerce, planned for October, was canceled last week.
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