India’s remaining diplomats ‘clearly on discover’: Canada’s International Minister

Minister of International Affairs Melanie Joly, centre, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, proper, and Minister of Public Security, Democratic Establishments and Intergovernmental Affairs Dominic LeBlanc take part in a information convention on the investigative efforts associated to violent legal exercise occurring in Canada with connections to India, on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, on Monday, Oct. 14, 2024.
| Photograph Credit score: AP

Canada’s Minister of International Affairs Mélanie Joly on Friday (October 18, 2024) mentioned the remaining Indian diplomats within the nation are “clearly on discover” after Canada named the Indian Excessive Commissioner in Ottawa as an individual of curiosity within the assassination of a Sikh separatist chief.

Ms. Joly mentioned the federal government wouldn’t tolerate any diplomats who contravene the Vienna Conference or put the lives of Canadians in danger.

India expelled six Canadian diplomats on Monday and introduced that it was withdrawing its Excessive Commissioner in Canada after dismissing Ottawa’s allegations linking the envoy to the probe into the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

Canada, nevertheless, mentioned it had expelled six Indian diplomats.

Ms. Joly, evaluating India to Russia, mentioned Canada’s nationwide police drive has linked Indian diplomats to homicides, loss of life threats and intimidation in Canada.

“We have by no means seen that in our historical past. That degree of transnational repression can not occur on Canadian soil. We have seen it elsewhere in Europe. Russia has performed that in Germany and the U.Okay. and we wanted to face agency on this challenge,” she mentioned in Montreal.

Requested if different Indian diplomats can be expelled, Ms. Joly mentioned: “They’re clearly on discover. Six of them have been expelled together with the Excessive Commissioner in Ottawa. Others have been primarily from Toronto and Vancouver and clearly, we cannot tolerate any diplomats which can be in contravention of the Vienna conference.”

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police went public this week with allegations that Indian diplomats have been concentrating on Sikh separatists in Canada by sharing details about them with their authorities again dwelling.

Calling out the infamous Bishnoi crime gang, the RCMP mentioned prime Indian officers have been passing details about Sikh separatists to Indian organised crime teams who have been concentrating on the activists.

The relations between India and Canada got here below extreme pressure following Prime Minister Trudeau’s allegations in September final yr of the “potential” involvement of Indian brokers within the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was gunned down in Surrey, British Columbia.

India has rejected the Canadian accusations as absurd and politically motivated.

India has repeatedly criticised Mr. Trudeau’s authorities for being comfortable on supporters of the Khalistan motion who reside in Canada.