Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly on Friday warned Indian diplomats remaining in the country, saying they were “clearly informed” not to compromise Canada’s security. The statement comes as diplomatic tensions continue to escalate over Canada’s unsubstantiated accusations that India was involved in the death of a Sikh separatist leader, a claim India vehemently denies.
Earlier this week, Canada expelled the Indian high commissioner and five other diplomats, accusing them of being involved in a campaign of violence and intimidation against the country’s Sikh separatists, exacerbating the diplomatic standoff. New Delhi had previously rejected Ottawa’s allegations that the envoy was involved in the investigation into the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Meanwhile, Canada announced the expulsion of six Indian diplomats.
“We have never seen this in our history. This level of transnational repression cannot happen on Canadian soil. We have seen this elsewhere in Europe. Russia has already done this in Germany and the United Kingdom. , we need to take a firm stand on this issue.
Asked about the possibility of further expulsions of Indian diplomats, Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Jolly said: “They have obviously taken notice. Six of them have been expelled, including the high commissioner in Ottawa. Others are mainly based in Toronto and Vancouver, we clearly will not tolerate any diplomats who violate the Vienna Convention.
Jolly’s remarks came as the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) alleged that Indian diplomats were involved in the incident that led to the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Nijar was an Indian Sikh separatist and designated terrorist who was shot dead in British Columbia last year.