What led to India-Canada diplomatic row? A quick recap

Knives are out between India and Canada as both countries have now expelled six diplomats each. India has withdrawn its high commissioner in Canada, and the Canadian police have disclosed details about the alleged link between the "agents" of the Indian government and the killing of Khalistani leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

India "strongly" rejected Canada's latest "diplomatic communication" against the Indian envoy and other diplomats "in a matter related to an investigation in that country". On Monday, India's Ministry of External Affairs slammed the Canadian government and accused Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of indulging in "vote bank politics".

So why did India withdraw its diplomats from Canada? What is this "matter" India is concerned about and why did India link this "matter" to Justin Trudeau's "vote bank politics"? Why did India-Canada's diplomatic relations sour over time? Here's a deep dive into the strained India-Canada diplomatic ties:

India-Canada diplomatic row: How it started

The diplomatic tension between India and Canada was sparked by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's allegations in Parliament in September 2023. Trudeau had revealed that his government is "actively pursuing credible allegations" linking Indian government agents to the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar on its soil.

India had dismissed these claims as “absurd and motivated”. The Ministry of External Affairs said the “unsubstantiated allegations” sought to shift focus away from “Khalistani terrorists and extremists who have been provided shelter in Canada”.

Who was Hardeep Singh Nijjar?

Najjar was a Khalistani separatist who was gunned down on Canadian soil in June 2023. He was a Canadian citizen but a designated terrorist in India. Nijjar supported the Khalistan movement, which is banned in India. Khalistani sepratists talk about an unofficial Khalistan referendum vote seeking a separate Sikh state. Tap here to read more about him

What happened next?

Soon after Trudeau's speech in Canada’s Parliament, foreign minister Mélanie Joly announced the expulsion of a "top Indian diplomat". Hours later, Canadian envoy Cameron MacKay was summoned to the Ministry of External Affairs and informed of the government’s decision to expel a senior Canadian diplomat.

Meanwhile, India has time and again sought evidence from the Canadian government to back its claim on the Nijjar killing. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had said last year that India was not ruling out an investigation but asked Canada to provide evidence in support of its allegations about the involvement of agents of the Indian government in the killing of the Khalistani separatist in that country.

However, Canada has maintained that it has provided evidence to India, establishing “links tying agents of the Government of India (GOI) to homicides and violent acts”.

In June 2024, Trudeau said that there was a commitment to work together with India to deal with some “very important issues”. He said, "I'm not going to get into the details of this important, sensitive issue that we need to follow up, but this was a commitment to work together, in the coming times, to deal with some very important issues."

Why PM Justin Trudeau might not condemn Khalistan extremism

Canada is set to go to polls in 2025. Ahead of the elections, PM Trudeau's handling of the killing of Khalistan extremist Hardeep Singh Nijjar seems to indicate a subtle dissociation from a right-wing leader in order to propel his static year-over-year at 31 per cent popularity as the best choice for prime minister candidate.

Canada houses the second highest Sikh population in the world, after India. Currently, Canada has a Sikh population of more than 770,000, or about 2 per cent of its total population. 

Earlier this year, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau suffered a major political blow on Wednesday when Jagmeet Singh's New Democratic Party leader in parliament pulled its support for his minority Liberal government. Jagmeet Singh is believed to be a Khalistan sympathiser.

The Liberals currently have 154 seats in the 338 Canadian House of Commons. The Conservates hold 119 and the New Democratic Party (NDP) 24. The Bloc Québécois, a party based only in Quebec and is devoted to Quebec sovereignty, has 32 seats. Read more details here