Canada tried to avoid a tit-for-tat diplomatic standoff with India last week, a senior federal government official told CBC News.
CBC News agreed to keep the identity of the source confidential because he is not authorized to speak publicly on the matter.
On Monday, Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly said Canada was serving deportation notices to six Indian diplomats and consular staff in response to a “targeted campaign against Canadians by agents with ties to the Indian government.” It was announced that.
India denies the allegations. The government quickly retaliated, ordering six Canadian diplomats to leave the country within a week.
Here, we take a look at a timeline of recent events that caused further deterioration in relations between the two countries.
October 14: RCMP claims Indian government officials pose a threat to public safety
At a Thanksgiving press conference on Monday, RCMP Commissioner Mike Duhem made a connection between Indian government agents and “widespread violence” in Canada, including murder.
He said the Mounties had collected evidence that Indian diplomats and consular officials based in Canada used their official positions to engage in covert activities, including gathering intelligence for the Indian government, either directly or through agents. He said that
Duhem said “well over a dozen” credible and imminent threats have been directed against members of the Indo-Canadian community, particularly Sikh members of the pro-Khalistan movement.
Duhem told reporters that the RCMP felt it necessary to come forward to disrupt networks operating in Canada, calling it a “serious threat to our public safety.” .
Late Monday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told a news conference that his government had expelled six Indian diplomats after New Delhi refused to cooperate with a criminal investigation into alleged violence and extortion involving Indian government officials.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Monday that his government has expelled six Indian diplomats from Canada after New Delhi refused to cooperate with a criminal investigation into allegations of violence and extortion involving Indian government officials. “The Indian government made a fundamental mistake in thinking it could support criminal activity against Canadians here on Canadian soil,” he said.
“I think it’s clear that the Indian government made a fundamental mistake in thinking that it could support criminal acts against Canadians here on Canadian soil, whether it be murder, extortion, or other acts of violence. That is absolutely unacceptable,” Trudeau said.
“Canada fully accepts and respects India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. We expect India to do the same, which it has not done in this case.”
October 12-13: RCMP and Indian delegation meet in Singapore
RCMP Deputy Commissioner Mark Flynn traveled to Singapore on October 12 to meet with Indian government officials and seek their cooperation in the investigation, a senior government official said.
He was joined by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s National Security Adviser Nathalie Drouin and Deputy Foreign Minister David Morrison, who were in India to meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s National Security Adviser Ajit Doval. joined the group.
Global Affairs Canada said in a statement that India was asked to waive its diplomatic and consular immunity and cooperate with the investigation, which it “did not consent to”.
Indian officials asked for the talks to remain confidential and the Canadian and Indian delegations agreed to resume within 48 hours, the people said.
However, according to a senior Canadian government official, while the Canadian delegation was returning to Ottawa, the Indian delegation leaked news of the meeting to Indian media, claiming that no police evidence was presented at the gathering.
October 11: Prime Minister Trudeau and Prime Minister Modi meet in Laos
Prime Minister Trudeau met with Prime Minister Modi on October 11 at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit held in Laos.
It was the second time the two leaders met in public, the first being Prime Minister Trudeau. blame india In September 2023, he was accused of involvement in the assassination of Canadian citizen and Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
Nijal is shot June 18, 2023, outside a Sikh temple in Surrey, British Columbia.
Prime Minister Trudeau did not specify to reporters what he specifically said to Prime Minister Modi. He said he told the Indian prime minister: “We have a job to do.”
RCMP Commissioner Mike Duhem said there had been “well over a dozen” credible threats against members of Canada’s South Asian community, particularly members of the pro-Khalistan movement. India said the Trudeau government has “consciously provided space for violent extremists and terrorists to harass, intimidate and intimidate Indian diplomats and regional leaders in Canada.” Former British Columbia Premier Ujjal Dosanjh and Balpreet Singh of the World Sikh Organization of Canada offer their views on how these issues impact Canada’s diaspora communities.
