Relations between India and Canada, which is home to nearly 2 million people of Indian descent, have deteriorated since Justin Trudeau said last month that there were 'credible allegations' of Indian involvement in the slaying of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Sikh leader who was killed by masked gunmen outside Vancouver in June.
India has told Canada to remove 41 of its 62 diplomats in the country, ramping up a confrontation between the two countries over Canadian accusations that India may have been involved in the killing of a Sikh separatist leader in suburban Vancouver.India's Ministry of External Affairs declined to comment
An official familiar with the matter confirmed details on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak publicly. For years, India said Mr Nijjar, a Canadian citizen born in India, had links to terrorism — an allegation Mr Nijjar denied. "Obviously, we are going through an extremely challenging time with India right now, but that's why it is so important for us to have diplomats on the ground working with the Indian government and there to support Canadians and Canadian families," Mr Trudeau said.
The Khalistan movement has lost much of its political power but still has supporters in the Indian state of Punjab, as well as in the sizeable overseas Sikh diaspora.While the active insurgency ended years ago, the Indian government has warned repeatedly that Sikh separatists were trying to make a comeback.Canada and India have expelled each other's top diplomats in last 24 hours. Here's why Australia is "deeply concerned".
"This is a clear show of force on the part of the Modi government, who's not afraid to escalate this diplomatic crisis," said Daniel Béland, a political science professor at McGill University in Montreal.Mr Béland said it would hurt many Indian citizens, including foreign students and temporary workers in need of a Canadian visa.US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met last week with India's foreign minister amid the simmering row between New Delhi and Ottawa.