India, Canada Expel Diplomats Over Alleged Aiding Criminal Acts, Murder
https://osazuwaakonedo.news/india-canada-expel-diplomats-over-alleged-aiding-criminal-acts-murder/15/10/2024/
#Issues #Canada #Hardeep #India #Justin #Khalistan #Nijjar #Singh #Trudeau ©October 15th, 2024 ®October 16, 2024 9:20 am Diplomatic relations between India and Canada appeared to have collapsed on Monday as both countries expelled six each other top diplomats following India refusal to remove the diplomatic immunity on some of its Diplomats, Canadian Government suspected to have been involved in criminal acts and murder of Sikh separatist leader, Hardeep Singh Nijjar who was agitating for the declaration of Khalistan Republic from India whom Indian security had accused of being a member of Khalistan Tiger Force, KTF, a secessionist armed group that was declared a terrorist organisation by India government in February, 2023. #OsazuwaAkonedo
https://osazuwaakonedo.news/india-canada-expel-diplomats-over-alleged-aiding-criminal-acts-murder/15/10/2024/
#Issues #Canada #Hardeep #India #Justin #Khalistan #Nijjar #Singh #Trudeau ©October 15th, 2024 ®October 16, 2024 9:20 am Diplomatic relations between India and Canada appeared to have collapsed on Monday as both countries expelled six each other top diplomats following India refusal to remove the diplomatic immunity on some of its Diplomats, Canadian Government suspected to have been involved in criminal acts and murder of Sikh separatist leader, Hardeep Singh Nijjar who was agitating for the declaration of Khalistan Republic from India whom Indian security had accused of being a member of Khalistan Tiger Force, KTF, a secessionist armed group that was declared a terrorist organisation by India government in February, 2023. #OsazuwaAkonedo
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00:00Diplomatic relations between India and Canada appeared to have collapsed on Monday as both
00:05countries expelled six each other top diplomats following India refusal to remove the diplomatic
00:10immunity on some of its diplomats. Canadian government suspected to have been involved
00:15in criminal acts and murder of Sikh separatist leader. Hadith Singh Nidia who was agitating for
00:21the declaration of Khalistan Republic from India whom Indian security had accused of being a member
00:26of Khalistan Tiger Force, KTF, a secessionist armed group that was declared a terrorist
00:32organization by Indian government in February, 2023. Hadith Singh Nidia was killed with multiple
00:39gunshots in Canada on June 18, 2023. Canadian government accused six Indian diplomats of
00:46adding the criminal act and killing of the separatist leader on its soil. On Monday,
00:52Canada expelled the six diplomats following India to remove immunity clause to pave way
00:58for Canadian security operatives to investigate them. India in a swift reaction on Monday,
01:05retaliated and expelled six top Canadian diplomats and said it has recalled its diplomats from Canada
01:11on the ground that they were no longer safe in the North America country. Khalistan is the name
01:17of the proposed state envisioned by some Sikhs, incorporating the Indian state of Punjab as well
01:23as other Punjabi-speaking areas of northern India to establish a Sikh nation. The ethno-religious
01:30liberation movement gained attention in the 1970s and early 1980s in India. Canadian Prime Minister
01:38Justin Trudeau in a press conference said, the Indian government made a fundamental error in
01:44thinking that the could engage in supporting criminal activities against Canadians here on
01:49Canadian soil. The Economic Times reported that after New Delhi expelled six Canadian diplomats
01:56from India, foreign policy expert and senior fellow at the Observo Research Foundation,
02:02Sushant Sarin called for an investigation into Canada's interference in India's internal affairs.
02:08He emphasized the need to probe Canadian NGOs and embassies that support Khalistan's elements.
02:14The calling back of our officials, about whom Canadians have said that investigations can be
02:20done against them, if you say this about any official that will be investigated,
02:26then it becomes completely dishonest for them to stay in the country.
02:30The official can't function there, Sarin said. Sarin asserted that India has given a strong
02:37reaction but along with it, there should also be some action. The reaction is quite strong but
02:43along with the reaction, there should be some action also. Canada's interference in India,
02:50be it their NGOs, their embassies, should also be investigated so that they can be exposed as
02:57to how they encourage Khalistanis. He added, India can keep open embassies but can close
03:03their consulates if relations deteriorate further. Sarin also spoke about the deteriorating relations
03:10between the two nations and asserted that even if Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is not there
03:15in power, the relations will not get better soon. Reuters reported and stated that the diplomatic
03:22role represents a major deterioration of relations between the two Commonwealth countries.
03:28Ties have been frayed since Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said last year he had
03:33evidence linking Indian agents to the assassination of Sikh leader,
03:37Halif Singh Nidja on Canadian territory. The government now has clear and compelling evidence
03:44that agents of the Government of India have engaged in and continue to engage in activities
03:50that pose a significant threat to public safety, Trudeau said at a news conference.
03:56These activities involved clandestine information-gathering techniques,
04:00coercive behaviour, targeting South Asian Canadians and involvement in over a dozen
04:06threatening and violent acts, including murder, he said. This is unacceptable, he said,
04:14adding that India had committed a fundamental error by engaging in criminal activities in Canada.
04:21India has long denied Trudeau's accusations. On Monday, it dismissed Canada's move on the
04:27inquiry and accused Trudeau of pursuing a political agenda. The Royal Canadian Mounted
04:33Police said in an earlier news conference the Government of India had undertaken a
04:38broad campaign against Indian dissidents including homicides and extortion. It had
04:44also used organised crime to target the South Asian community in Canada and interfered in
04:49democratic processes, police said. Bridget Goving, RCMP's assistant commissioner, said,
04:58what we have seen is the use of organised crime elements, and named the Bishnoi group.
05:05She said the group, we believe, is connected to the agents of the Government of India.
05:11Canada's foreign ministry said the decision to expel these individuals was met with great
05:17consideration and only after the RCMP gathered ample, clear and concrete evidence which identified
05:24six individuals as persons of interest in the Niger case. India said it was withdrawing its
05:30diplomats from Canada because it was not confident that their safety could be guaranteed.
05:36We have no faith in the current Canadian government's commitment to ensure their security.
05:42Therefore, the Government of India has decided to withdraw the high commissioner and other
05:47targeted diplomats and officials, India's foreign ministry said in a statement.
05:53India also said it had asked six Canadian diplomats to leave by Saturday.
05:58The ministry also said it had summoned the acting high commissioner in India, Stuart Wheeler,
06:04currently Canada's top diplomat in the South Asian country. Canada's foreign minister,
06:10Melanie Joni said the government had requested India to remove the diplomatic immunity of six
06:15diplomats so that the Canadian investigative agencies could question them regarding the
06:20allegations of criminal activity. But since India did not cooperate, it had to expel the diplomats.
06:29We're not seeking diplomatic confrontation with India, she said, but we will not sit quietly as
06:35agents of any country are linked to efforts to threaten, harass or even kill Canadians.
06:42Canada withdrew more than 40 diplomats from India in October 2023 after New Delhi
06:48asked Ottawa to reduce its diplomatic presence, according to Reuters.