The diplomatic standoff between India and Canada intensified after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused India of making a “fundamental error” in the handling of a controversy surrounding the killing of a Sikh separatist leader, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, on Canadian soil in 2023. The escalating tensions led to both nations expelling each other’s diplomats.
On October 14, 2024, Prime Minister Trudeau, accompanied by Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly and Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc, held a press conference on Parliament Hill in Ottawa. They addressed concerns over “violent criminal activity in Canada with connections to India.” This followed a Canadian investigation into Nijjar’s killing, which has strained diplomatic relations.
India firmly rejected the allegations made by Trudeau, describing them as “preposterous” and linked them to Canada’s internal political challenges. The Ministry of External Affairs of India announced the expulsion of Canada’s acting High Commissioner Stewart Wheeler, his deputy, and four other officials. This move came in retaliation after Canada implicated Indian diplomats in the incident.
As tensions rise, both countries are reviewing their diplomatic ties. Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly emphasized that India must cooperate in the ongoing investigation. Both sides remain at a stalemate as they continue to weigh further actions.
This diplomatic row, centered around Nijjar’s assassination, has brought relations between the two nations to one of their lowest points.
