alleges Ottawa giving shelter to Khalistani terrorists

A senior Canadian diplomat had been ordered to leave India within five days, the Indian Foreign Ministry said, hours after Ottawa expelled an Indian diplomat in an escalating rift over the killing of a Sikh separatist, foreign media reported.

New Delhi’s decision reflected its “growing concern at the interference of Canadian diplomats in our internal matters and their involvement in anti-India activities”, the Indian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.

India rejected “absurd” accusations by the Canadian government that Indian agents were involved in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

“We have seen and reject the statement of the Canadian Prime Minister in their Parliament, as also the statement by their Foreign Minister. Allegations of Government of India’s involvement in any act of violence in Canada are absurd and motivated…We are a democratic polity with a strong commitment to rule of law,” the statement said.

“Such unsubstantiated allegations seek to shift the focus from Khalistani terrorists and extremists, who have been provided shelter in Canada and continue to threaten India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. The inaction of the Canadian

Government on this matter has been a long-standing and continuing concern.

That Canadian political figures have openly expressed sympathy for such elements remains a matter of deep concern. The space given in Canada to a range of illegal activities including murders, human trafficking and organised crime is not new. We reject any attempts to connect the Government of India to such developments. We urge the Government of Canada to take prompt and effective legal action against all anti-India elements operating from their soil,” MEA said.