In the wake of expelling several Indian diplomats linked to the assassination of Khalistan leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar on Canadian soil, Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly has issued a stern warning to the remaining New Delhi envoys, stating they have been “put on notice.”
Earlier in the week, Canada formally expelled India’s High Commissioner Sanjay Kumar Verma and five other diplomats ahead of new revelations from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) regarding India’s involvement in criminal activities targeting pro-Khalistan separatists. Canadian sources confirmed that following the notification of their expulsion, India recalled the six diplomats.
Speaking at a press conference, Minister Joly emphasized that over a dozen Indian diplomats still stationed in Canada must adhere to Canadian laws. She confirmed, “Six diplomats have been expelled, including the high commissioner in Ottawa, with others mainly from Toronto and Vancouver.”
Joly further warned, “We will not tolerate any diplomats acting in violation of the Vienna Convention.”
Her comments followed accusations by the head of the RCMP, who linked India’s government, its agents, and diplomats to criminal activities in Canada, including coercion, extortion, and targeted killings.
Canadian intelligence has gathered concrete evidence linking the six expelled diplomats, including the high commissioner, to the assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in June 2023, a prominent Sikh leader and ally of Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) founder Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, who has previously survived Indian-backed assassination attempts. The RCMP also uncovered evidence that Indian diplomats and consular officials in Canada were engaged in covert intelligence-gathering operations.
India, however, has denied collaborating with criminals in Canada to target Sikh separatists. In contrast, Joly affirmed, “There was a genuine threat, and that’s why the RCMP took the extraordinary step of making it public that Canadians were facing intimidation, extortion, and even death threats from Indian agents and diplomats linked to criminal activities.”
When asked whether additional Indian diplomats might face expulsion, Melanie Joly stressed that Canada would not tolerate any foreign diplomats who breach the Vienna Convention or endanger Canadian lives.
Cameron MacKay, Canada’s most recent high commissioner to India, called the situation a “fiasco” on India’s part, adding, “The Indian government crossed significant red lines by orchestrating violent crimes in Canada and the US, and they will not get away with it.“
MacKay noted that India’s response has been to “deny, vilify, and distract” its domestic audience by attacking Canada, rather than addressing the facts of the situation.
