India and Canada expelled a half-dozen of the other's diplomats on Monday after accusations that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government was involved in "homicides, extortion, and violent acts" on Canadian soil. The criminal activity had centered on supporters of the pro-Khalistan movement, which seeks a separate homeland for Sikhs in India, Canadian police said. The killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a separatist leader, last year in British Columbia was part of the campaign, the Washington Post reports. India called the accusations "preposterous," per the BBC. The expulsions began with six Indian diplomats, including India's top envoy in Canada, though India later said it had pulled them for their own safety.
The envoys kicked out by India included Canada's top diplomat. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police said it released information to the public about its investigation into accusations against India because of the "significant threat to public safety in our country." Commissioner Mike Duheme said it has found more than a dozen credible threats to lives. "We reached a point where we felt it was imperative to confront the government of India," he said. One Canadian official said the threats have increased since Nijjar's death, requiring a dozen people of Indian descent to be warned they're in danger.
Canadian officials said they also found evidence of the Indian government being involved in home invasions, drive-by shootings, arson, and another killing. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has accused India of being behind the fatal shooting of Nijjar; Modi has spoken of Sikhs living abroad as posing a threat and accused Canada of hosting terrorists. Canada has the world's largest population of Sikhs outside India. Relations between India and Canada worsened dramatically after the killing, then appeared to improve a bit. But last week, per the BBC, Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly described the situation as tense. (More Canada stories.)
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