Amid backlash, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Monday said that Canada is not trying to provoke India by suggesting its agents were linked to the murder Sikh separatist leader but Ottawa wants New Delhi to address the issue properly. This statement came hours after he had asserted "credible allegations" linked Indian agents to the June slaying of Hardeep Singh Nijjar. However, India dismissed the Canadian government's accusations as absurd.

He said, "The government of India needs to take this matter with the utmost seriousness. We are doing that, we are not looking to provoke or escalate," Reuters reported him as saying. 

Meanwhile, Canada and India have expelled a senior diplomat each after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged the involvement of "agents of the Indian government" in the death of Khalistani leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

Hardeep Singh Nijjar, 45, the chief of the banned Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) and one of India's most-wanted terrorists who carried a cash reward of Rs 10 lakh on his head, was shot dead by two unidentified gunmen outside a gurdwara in Surrey in the western Canadian province of British Columbia on June 18.

"Over the past number of weeks, Canadian security agencies have been actively pursuing credible allegations of a potential link between agents of the Government of India and the killing of a Canadian citizen, Hardeep Singh Nijjar," Trudeau said Monday in a speech to the House of Commons.

Reacting sharply to the allegations, India on Tuesday rejected Trudeau's claims, calling them "absurd and motivated". The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has also asked a Canadian diplomat to leave India within the next five days. Bilateral ties between India and Canada have been tense in recent months. Trade talks have been derailed and Canada just cancelled trade talks.

Major Countries React To Row Over Khalistani Terrorist Killing

In Washington, the White House said it was "deeply concerned" about the allegations raised by Trudeau. "We remain in regular contact with our Canadian partners. It is critical that Canada's investigation proceed and the perpetrators be brought to justice,” National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said in a statement.

In London, a UK government spokesperson said on Tuesday that Britain was in "close touch with our Canadian partners about these serious allegations." Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's spokesperson at 10 Downing Street was asked about the impact the issue may have on India-UK relations.

"We are in close touch with our Canadian partners about these serious allegations,” the spokesperson said. "It would be inappropriate to comment further during the ongoing investigation by the Canadian authorities.”

A spokesperson for Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said Canberra was "deeply concerned" by the allegations made by Canada. "We have conveyed our concerns at senior levels to India," the spokesperson said.