Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly issued a stern warning to the remaining Indian diplomats expelled from Canada, stating that the country would not tolerate any further criminal activities on its soil.
This ultimatum comes on the heels of the expulsion of six Indian diplomats earlier this week, following significant evidence revealed by Canada’s national police force regarding murder and extortion linked to agents operating under orders from New Delhi.
Among those expelled was India’s high commissioner, who has been identified as a person of interest in the assassination of Canadian Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar on June 18, 2023, in British Columbia. This incident has escalated tensions between the two nations, with India vehemently denying the allegations and retaliating by expelling six Canadian diplomats from its territory.
Minister Melanie Joly highlighted that there is credible evidence indicating that New Delhi has employed criminals in Canada to carry out violent acts, specifically targeting Sikh separatists advocating for an independent Sikh state in India.
“There was definitely a threat, and that’s exactly why the RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police) took the extraordinary step of making public the fact that Canadians were being intimidated and were victims of extortion or even receiving death threats because agents and diplomats from India were linked to these criminal actions,” Joly stated during a news conference in Montreal, as reported by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
“This unprecedented level of transnational repression cannot be tolerated on Canadian soil,” she asserted, underscoring Canada’s commitment to safeguarding its national integrity and the safety of its citizens.
As the diplomatic rift continues, it remains to be seen how this situation will evolve and what measures Canada will take to protect its sovereignty from foreign interference.
