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.
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