A massive dispute has flared up between Canada and India. In a retaliatory move, New Delhi expelled a Canadian diplomat shortly after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau asserted in Parliament that there were “credible allegations of a potential connection” between Indian Government agents and the killing of Khalistani leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada in June. Canada also expelled a high-ranking Indian diplomat.

Taking exception to this, India on Tuesday asked a Canadian diplomat to leave the country within five days and rejected Trudeau’s statement.

In a strongly worded statement, the Ministry of External Affairs(MEA) termed as “absurd” and “motivated” the Canadian Prime Minister’s  allegations late on Monday in the House of Commons that there were “potential” Indian links to the killing of the Khalistani separatist leader.

“That Canadian political figures have openly expressed sympathy for such elements remains a matter of deep concern. The space given in Canada to a range of illegal activities including murders, human trafficking and organised crime is not new... We reject any attempts to connect the Government of India to such developments. We urge the Government of Canada to take prompt and effective legal action against all anti-India elements operating from their soil,” the MEA said.

In a strong reaction to remarks by Trudeau and the Canadian Foreign Minister, the MEA said such “unsubstantiated” allegations seek to “shift the focus from Khalistani terrorists and extremists, who have been provided shelter in Canada and continue to threaten India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

However, on Tuesday Trudeau said, “We are not looking to provoke or escalate the issue.”

Canadian High Commissioner to India Cameron MacKay was summoned and informed about the decision to expel the senior official, with the MEA saying the move reflects New Delhi’s growing concern at the “interference of Canadian diplomats in our internal matters and their involvement in anti-India activities.”

The Congress backed the Government’s action and said the country’s interests and concerns must be kept paramount and its fight against terrorism has to be uncompromising.  “The Indian National Congress has always believed that our country’s fight against terrorism has to be uncompromising, especially when terrorism threatens India’s sovereignty, unity and integrity,” Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said in a post on X. “Our country’s interests and concerns must be kept paramount at all times,” he added.

Though the MEA did not divulge the name of the Canadian diplomat who has been asked to leave India within five days, people familiar with the matter said it is the Canadian intelligence agency’s station chief in New Delhi Olivier Sylvestre.

The Indian action to expel the Canadian diplomat came hours after Canada’s Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly announced that a “top Indian diplomat” has been expelled from Canada in view of the alleged links to the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canadian Khalistani leader. He was shot dead by two gunmen in Surrey in June.

 Joly’s office said the diplomat is Pavan Kumar Rai, the head of the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), according to Canadian broadcaster CBC news.

Prime Minister Trudeau said in the House of Commons, “Over the past number of weeks, Canadian security agencies have been actively pursuing credible allegations of a potential link between agents of the Government of India and the killing of a Canadian citizen, Hardeep Singh Nijjar.”

Trudeau said “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 said. “As you would expect, we have been working closely and coordinating with our allies on this very serious matter.”

He also said he had raised with Prime Minister Modi the issue during their meeting on the sidelines of the G20 summit in New Delhi earlier this month. Trudeau urged the Indian government to “cooperate with Canada to get to the bottom of this matter.”

 The ties between India and Canada have come under strain in view of New Delhi’s concerns over increasing activities of  Khalistani elements in that country. Last week, the talks on a bilateral free trade agreement were frozen apparently in view of the deteriorating ties.

“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,” the MEA said, adding, “We have seen and rejected the statement of the Canadian PM, as also the statement by their Foreign Minister.”

Allegations of the Government of India’s involvement in any act of violence in Canada are absurd and motivated,” the MEA said before announcing the expulsion of the Canadian diplomat.

The MEA said the “inaction” of the Canadian Government on this matter has been “long-standing” and of continuing concern.

In his talks with Trudeau’ on September 10, Modi conveyed India’s strong concerns about continuing anti-India activities of extremist elements in Canada as they are promoting secessionism and inciting violence against Indian diplomats and threatening the Indian community there.

In July, India summoned the Canadian envoy and issued a demarche over the increasing activities by pro-Khalistani elements in Canada, days after posters featuring names of India’s senior diplomats serving in Canada surfaced in certain areas in that country.

In June, a video emerged on social media that showed a float depicting the assassination of Indira Gandhi. It was reportedly part of a parade that was organised by some Khalistani elements in Brampton.

Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who headed the Khalistani Tiger Force and the Canadian arm of Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), was shot dead by unknown attackers near a gurdwara in Surrey in June. Nijjar, who was from  Jalandhar, moved to Canada in 1997. He was wanted in India for being the “mastermind” of the Khalistani Tiger Force, a designated terror group in India.

Last July, the Indian anti-terror agency announced a cash reward of `10 lakh on Nijjar in connection with the murder of a Hindu priest in Jalandhar, Punjab. Nijjar was also accused in the 2007 bombing of a cinema in Punjab. The NIA is also probing the recent attacks on Indian diplomatic missions in Canada, UK and US.

Meanwhile, soon after Prime Minister Trudeau’s statement, the US said it is “deeply concerned” about the allegations. “The US was deeply concerned about the allegations disclosed by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau”, National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said in an emailed statement. “It is critical that Canada’s investigation proceed and the perpetrators be brought to justice,” Ms Watson said.

The UK Government said the “serious allegations” over the murder of a Sikh separatist leader in Canada will not impact its own ongoing trade negotiations with India.

“We are in close touch with our Canadian partners about these serious allegations,” a UK government spokesperson said.

“It would be inappropriate to comment further during the ongoing investigation by the Canadian authorities,” the spokesperson said.

Later, when Sunak’s spokesperson was pressed on the matter, he said work on the trade negotiations with India “continue as before”.

India and the UK earlier this month agreed to continue to work at pace towards a “landmark” free trade agreement (FTA).