India-Canada diplomatic tensions escalate over Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar’s assassination

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his government responded after police began pursuing credible allegations that Indian agents were directly involved in the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

Canadian police accused Indian agents of involvement in “homicides, extortion and violent acts” and targeting supporters of the pro-Khalistan movement, which seeks a separate homeland for Sikhs in India.

Delhi rejected the allegations as “preposterous”, accusing Trudeau of pandering to Canada’s large Sikh community for political gain.

Speaking on live television on Monday afternoon, Trudeau said India had made a “fundamental error” in supporting “criminal” acts in Canada and his government had to act on the latest findings.

“The evidence brought to light by the RCMP [Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Canada's national police service] cannot be ignored,” the prime minister said.

“It leads to one conclusion, it is necessary to disrupt the criminal activities that continue to pose a threat to public safety in Canada. That is why we acted.”

India denied all charges and insisted Canada has provided no evidence to support its claims.

Relations between the countries worsened; with India demanding Canada withdraw diplomats and suspending visa services.

“The aspersions cast on [India’s High Commissioner] are ludicrous,” India responded, as it also pulled its top diplomats from Canada.

“We have no faith in the current Canadian government’s commitment to ensure their security. Therefore, the government of India has decided to withdraw the High Commissioner and other targeted diplomats and officials,” the Indian foreign ministry said.

Earlier on Monday, Canadian police issued warnings about ongoing threats from Indian agents allegedly connected to the pro-Khalistan movement, which seeks to establish a separate Sikh state in India. One of the movement’s prominent leaders, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, was assassinated outside the Sikh temple he led in Surrey, British Columbia, by two masked gunmen in June 2023.

The Indian government had previously labeled Nijjar a terrorist, accusing him of leading a militant separatist group. However, his supporters strongly refuted these allegations, claiming they were baseless and politically motivated. In response to Nijjar’s killing, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau condemned the act, stating that it represented a serious violation of Canada’s sovereignty. Trudeau emphasized that the assassination of a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil, allegedly with foreign involvement, could not be tolerated and required urgent investigation.

While relations slightly improved after India resumed visa processing in late 2023, Canada’s Foreign Minister described ties as “tense” and warned of further threats. Canada hosts the largest Sikh community outside India.