• By Kamal Kumar
  • Sat, 19 Oct 2024 08:37 AM (IST)
  • Source:JND

As the bilateral ties between the two countries hit rock bottom, Canada's Minister of Foreign Affairs Melanie Joly said that remaining Indian diplomats in the country are “clearly on notice.” This comes after India and Canada expelled six diplomats each amid the row over the investigation into the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Canada earlier named the Indian High Commissioner in Ottawa as a person of interest in the assassination of a Sikh separatist leader.

In a veiled warning, the Canadian foreign minister further said that the Trudeau government would not tolerate any diplomats who contravene the Vienna Convention or put the lives of Canadians at risk, news agency PTI reported.

"We've never seen that in our history. That level of transnational repression cannot happen on Canadian soil. We've seen it elsewhere in Europe. Russia has done that in Germany and the UK and we needed to stand firm on this issue," she said in Montreal.

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India expelled six Canadian diplomats on Monday and recalled its High Commissioner from Canada, following Ottawa's claims of linking an Indian envoy to the investigation into Hardeep Singh Nijjar's murder. In response, Canada also expelled six Indian diplomats. Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly compared India's actions to Russia's, alleging Indian diplomats were involved in homicides, death threats, and intimidation.

On the question, of whether other Indian diplomats will be expelled, Joly said: “They are clearly on notice. Six of them have been expelled including the high commissioner in Ottawa. Others were mainly from Toronto and Vancouver and clearly, we won't tolerate any diplomats that are in contravention of the Vienna convention.”

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The relationship between the two countries turned sour last year after Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau alleged the role of Indian agents in the killing of the dreaded Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. India has termed these charges as baseless and politically motivated.