Canada-India tensions prompt emergency meeting in Ottawa. What to expect

Members of a parliamentary committee have called for an emergency meeting on new allegations of Indian foreign interference in Canada.

Members of a parliamentary committee have called for an emergency meeting on new allegations of Indian foreign interference in Canada as diplomatic tensions between the two countries have escalated this week.

The standing committee on public safety and national security is set to meet Friday morning to discuss the recent developments that saw Canada expel six Indian diplomats and consular officials “in relation to a targeted campaign against Canadian citizens by agents linked to the government of India.”

The House of Commons is on break this week, but MPs on that committee will convene Friday to consider the request for a study on the RCMP allegations and their aftermath.

The political dispute has members of the Indian diaspora in Canada on edge, with many families and students expressing concern about their ability to travel if the conflict escalates to visa suspensions.

Relations between India and Canada have soured since 2023 when Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Canadian intelligence agencies had credible evidence linking agents of the Indian government to the assassination of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey, B.C.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police, which is investigating Nijjar’s killing, said on Monday that it has significant amount of information on criminal activity allegedly orchestrated by agents of the Indian government.

The evidence points to “violent extremism” in both countries, links tying Indian government agents to homicides and violent acts, use of organized crime targeting the South Asian community in Canada, and interference in democratic processes, according to the RCMP.

India has long denied any involvement in Nijjar’s killing and accused Trudeau on Monday of pursuing a “political agenda.”