India announced expulsion of a senior Canadian diplomat, in a tit-for-tat to Canada expelling an Indian official after alleging a “potential” Indian link to the killing of a Khalistani separatist leader in June.
Canadian High Commissioner to India Cameron MacKay was summoned to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and informed about the decision to expel the senior Canadian diplomat.
MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi tweeted India’s move
India expels a senior Canadian Diplomat: https://t.co/TS8LHCUuuY pic.twitter.com/Y0pXq3v1DG
— Arindam Bagchi (@MEAIndia) September 19, 2023
The actions marked a further deterioration in India-Canada ties as they came days after both sides decided to pause their negotiations for a bilateral free trade agreement.
Earlier, In a statement in Canadian Parliament, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau claimed that there were “credible allegations of a potential link” between Indian government agents and the killing of Khalistani leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in June.
MEA Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi tweeted India’s retort to the allegations
India rejects allegations by Canada:https://t.co/KDzCczWNN2 pic.twitter.com/VSDxbefWLw
— Arindam Bagchi (@MEAIndia) September 19, 2023
Meanwhile, India has outrightly rejected as “baseless” Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s claim of a “potential link” between Indian government agents and the killing of a Khalistani leader.
Reacting to the India – Canada face- off, Congress party has said the country’s interests and concerns must be kept paramount and its fight against terrorism has to be uncompromising, amid a row between India and Canada over the killing of a Khalistani separatist leader in that country.
“The Indian National Congress has always believed that our country’s fight against terrorism has to be uncompromising, especially when terrorism threatens India’s sovereignty, unity and integrity,” Jairam Ramesh , Congress General Secretary in-charge Communications said in a post on ‘X’.
The Indian National Congress has always believed that our country’s fight against terrorism has to be uncompromising, especially when terrorism threatens India’s sovereignty, unity and integrity. Our country’s interests and concerns must be kept paramount at all times.#Canada
— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) September 19, 2023
