Earlier on Monday, the ministry dismissed Canada's claims that the Indian ambassador was involved in a plot to assassinate Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar. The Canadian charge d'affaires in New Delhi was summoned and informed that such accusations were "completely unacceptable," the ministry said.
"It was underlined that in an atmosphere of extremism and violence, the [Canadian Prime Minister Justin] Trudeau Government's actions endangered their safety. We have no faith in the current Canadian Government's commitment to ensure their security. Therefore, the Government of India has decided to withdraw the High Commissioner and other targeted diplomats and officials," the statement reads.
In June 2023, Nijjar was fatally shot by two masked gunmen in a parking lot of a Sikh temple in Surrey, British Columbia. He advocated for the creation of a separte Sikh state in northern India called Khalistan. Trudeau said last September that Ottawa was examining "credible allegations" linking Indian officials to the killing of Nijjar. New Delhi rejected the allegations.
Following the incident, Canada expelled a high-ranking Indian diplomat allegedly linked to the country's foreign intelligence. In response, the Indian authorities ordered a senior Canadian diplomat to leave India.
Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said in January that Canada's policy toward the Khalistan Liberation Force had a negative impact on Indian-Canadian relations.