Canada expels Indian diplomats after tying government agents to ‘serious criminal activity’

Canada announced the expulsion of six Indian diplomats Monday, including the high commissioner, after police investigations linked agents of the Indian government to homicides, harassment and other “acts of violence” against Sikh separatists in the country.

Canada announced the expulsion of six Indian diplomats Monday, including the high commissioner, after police investigations linked agents of the Indian government to homicides, harassment and other “acts of violence” against Sikh separatists in the country. “Global Affairs Canada today announced that six Indian diplomats and consular officials had received a notice of expulsion from Canada in relation to a targeted campaign against Canadian citizens by agents linked to the Government of India,” read a statement shared by the department, which is headed by Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mélanie Joly. The extraordinary step has sharply escalated diplomatic tensions between the countries, with India swiftly expelling six Canadian diplomats in response, including the acting High Commissioner, Stewart Ross Wheeler, according to a statement from India’s Ministry of External Affairs. The Indian government has called the accusations “preposterous” and said it was withdrawing the officials “targeted” by the Canadian government. “There is a deliberate strategy of smearing India for political gains,” the statement added Monday. “The aspersions cast on (High Commissioner Sanjay Kumar Verma) are ludicrous and deserve to be treated with contempt.” Earlier on Monday, the Royal Canada Mounted Police (RCMP) took the unusual step of publicly disclosing details of multiple investigations into the involvement of Indian government agents alleged to have taken part in “serious criminal activity” in Canada. The decision to publicly disclose the investigations was taken “due to the significant threat to public safety” and after attempts to address the issue together with the Indian government had not yielded satisfactory results, RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme told reporters.