NEW DELHI (Diya TV) — Diplomatic tensions between India and Canada continued to worsen Saturday over the public naming by Canada of a senior officer of India’s external spy agency Research and Analysis Wing, Pavan Kumar Rai, as one of those allegedly involved in the June 2023 murder of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar. India – which has insisted that Nijjar was a terrorist – had feuded with Canada ever since the latter announced on July 20 that it would be launching an investigation into Nijjar’s assassination.
In retaliation, India has zeroed in on Canadian border officer Sandeep Singh Sidhu as a terror suspect. The Canadian officials claim that Sidhu’s probe is part of an independent terror probe which is unrelated to the diplomatic spat.
The diplomat expulsions come after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau claimed India was involved in the murder of Nijjar in Surrey. India continues to reject the claims, saying Nijjar was linked to violent separatist activities through the Khalistan movement.
The latest saga unfolds amidst a growing diplomatic crisis as Canada, with a sizable Sikh diaspora, has been in sharp criticism by India as one that shelters separatist groups. For India, the Khalistan movement represents a threat to the sovereignty of India, while the Canadians have maintained rights to allow freedom of speech, even for controversial political movements.
Both countries, roped into a growing feud amidst stable trade and geopolitical ties, now find themselves locked in an escalating deepening engagement with broader international implications.
