Canada's allegation that India may have been involved in the killing of a Sikh activist on its soil has sparked rising tension between Ottawa and New Delhi, prompting both to expel top diplomats.
The diplomatic expulsions came after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Canada was investigating allegations linking India to the June killing of Canadian citizen and prominent Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
"Over the past few weeks, Canadian security agencies have been actively pursuing credible allegations of a possible link between Indian government agents and the killing of Canadian citizen Hardeep Singh Nijjar," Trudeau told parliament on Monday, adding the government his would take all the necessary steps "to seek the responsibility of the perpetrators of this murder", writes CNN.
Canada said it had expelled an Indian diplomat whom Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly described as the head of India's intelligence agency in the country.
"Today we're taking action by expelling a key diplomat, but we're going to see it through," she told reporters in Ottawa, adding that Trudeau has raised the issue with both US President Joe Biden and also with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
India's foreign ministry responded on Tuesday, saying it had expelled a senior Canadian diplomat based in India.
