India expels senior Canadian diplomat over Khalistan terrorist Hardeep Nijjar’s death
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New-Delhi: In a tit-for-tat move, India today expelled a senior Canadian diplomat in a reciprocal move over Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s allegations of Indian government playing a role in the death of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
“The High Commissioner of Canada to India was summoned today and informed about the decision of the Government of India to expel a senior Canadian diplomat based in India. The concerned diplomat has been asked to leave India within the next five days,” said the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in a statement.
“The decision reflects Government of India’s growing concern at the interference of Canadian diplomats in our internal matters and their involvement in anti-India activities.”
On Monday, Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly announced that Pavan Kumar Rai, the head of India’s intelligence agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) in Canada has been expelled as a consequence, citing a threat to the country’s sovereignty.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Monday alleged that the Indian government played a role in the killing of wanted Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. “Canadian security agencies have been actively pursuing credible allegations of a potential link between agents of the Government of India,” Trudeau said in the House of Commons.
“Any involvement of a foreign government in the killing of a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil is an unacceptable violation of our sovereignty. It is contrary to the fundamental rules by which free, open and democratic societies conduct themselves,” he added.
Trudeau urged the Indian government to participate in the ongoing investigation and “cooperate with Canada to get to the bottom of this matter.”