INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Canada announced Monday that it had expelled a top Indian diplomat over the murder of Khalistan Tiger Force chief Hardeep Singh Nijjar,
shortly after PM Justin Trudeau said in the nation's Parliament that his government was probing "credible allegations" that Indian agents
were responsible for the killing in June this year
Hours later, the Indian government ordered a senior Canadian diplomat to leave the country within five days, saying the decision reflected
growing concern over interference by Canadian diplomats in India's affairs and their anti-India activities
India summoned Canada's high commissioner Cameron MacKay to convey its decision to expel the diplomat, identified as Olivier Sylvestere, who
headed Canadian intelligence here.India said Trudeau's unsubstantiated and absurd allegations were only meant to shift focus from Canada's
support to Khalistan terrorists
The expelled Indian official was identified as Pavan Kumar Rai, a 1997-batch IPS officer handling, as per Indian high commission, economic,
coordination and community affairs
Canada's foreign minister Melanie Joly said he was RAW's point person
Having dropped a bombshell a day earlier by alleging an Indian government hand in Nijjar's killing, Trudeau on Tuesday said Ottawa was not
looking to escalate matters even as the US cautiously backed his demand for a probe
"We are not looking to provoke or escalate
We are simply laying out the facts as we understand them," Trudeau said, adding, "Indian government needs to take this matter with utmost
killing of Khalistani extremist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, Canadian PM Justin Trudeau seemed prepared for an escalation of tensions as he had
minister Melanie Joly threatened to raise the issue with her G7 counterparts on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly (UNGA).India-Canada
ties have remained frosty for several years over widespread Khalistan extremism in Canada, but the Trudeau government seemed to take the
gloves off early this year when it publicly accused India of foreign interference, an issue the Canadian leader finally raised himself with
Modi in their meeting on the margins of the G20 summit.Watch: Canada accuses Indian govt agents of being involved in murder of Hardeep Singh
The station chief of spy agencies is typically not identified by name, particularly among friendly nations
But so fraught is the moment and such the precipitous decline in India-Canada ties that Ottawa is publicly unloading on New Delhi on matters
in his meeting with the Canadian PM
Nijjar, a designated terrorist who carried a re ward of Rs 10 lakh, was shot dead outside a gurdwara by unidentified gunmen in Surrey,
unsubstantiated allegations sought to shift the focus from Khalistani terrorists and extremists, who had been provided shelter in Canada and
Force?The government reiterated that the inaction of the Canadian government on Khalistan extremism had been a long-standing and continuing
concern, while expressing deep concern that Canadian political figures openly expressed sympathy for the separatists
politics, Canada too has held for quite some time that India has been interfering in Sikh-related matters in the north American country
clubbing India with China, Russia and Iran while alleging foreign interference by state actors and non-state proxies.The decision to expel
confirmed by Indian high commissioner Sanjay Verma early this month
Volodymyr Zelensky was not invited for the event
According to sources here, the Canadian PM insisted on a meeting with Modi on the margins, despite India not being keen, and was finally
allowed a 15-minute pull-aside
On his way to India, he had said that he was going to raise the issue of foreign interference if he managed to have a meeting with
Modi.India rejects Canada's allegations linking government to murder of pro-Khalistani Hardeep Singh NijjarWorked with US on intel:
information.Canada warns citizens to avoid travelling to J-K: Issues travel advisory for India amid Khalistan row'9 separatist outfits have
Despite multiple deportation requests, Ottawa has taken no action against those involved in heinous crimes, officials here said on
Tuesday.The issue of deportations has been raised at multiple meetings but Canadian authorities have remained non-committal and brazen in
support of these elements, the officials said
Here is how Canada's pro-Khalistani group reacted on President Justin Trudeau's anti-India move
