Canada expels Indian diplomat as it investigates India's possible link to Sikh activist's slaying
Canada expelled a top Indian diplomat Monday as it investigates what Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called credible allegations that India's government may have had links to the assassination in Canada of a Sikh activist.
Trudeau said in Parliament that Canadian intelligence agencies have been looking into the allegations after Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a strong supporter of an independent Sikh homeland known as Khalistan, was gunned down on June 18 outside a Sikh cultural center in Surrey, British Columbia.
Trudeau told Parliament that he brought up the slaying with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the G-20 last week. He said he told Modi that any Indian government involvement would be unacceptable and that he asked for cooperation in the investigation.
Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly said the head of Indian intelligence in Canada has been expelled as a consequence.
«If proven true this would be a great violation of our sovereignty and of the most basic rule of how countries deal with each other,» Joly said.
«As a consequence we have expelled a top Indian diplomat.»
The Indian Embassy in Ottawa did not immediately answer phone calls from The Associated Press seeking comment.
Canada has a Sikh population of more than 770,000, or about 2% of its total population.
«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.
Trudeau said Canada has declared its deep concerns to the Indian government. «Any involvement of a foreign government in the killing of a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil is an unacceptable violation of
