September 22, 2023 / 09:37 AM IST

India, Canada relations: Indian Diplomats in Canada were spied on for intel, says report

Indian diplomats in Canada were surveilled for intelligence, leading to Justin Trudeau’s allegation of India’s involvement in the killing of a Sikh terrorist based on information from a major ally, a Canadian official familiar with the matter told The Associated Press on September 21.

The communications involved Indian officials and diplomats in Canada and some of the intelligence was provided by a member of the “Five Eyes” intelligence-sharing alliance, which includes the US, Britain, Australia and New Zealand, in addition to Canada.

This revelation comes as India-Canada ties have plunged following the Canadian Prime Minister’s claims of the Indian government’s hand in the killing of Nijjar’s in Surrey on June 18. Days after outrightly rejecting the claims as “absurd” and “motivated”, India has stopped processing visa applications and asked Canada to downsize its diplomatic staff in the country, arguing that there should be parity in strength and rank equivalence in the mutual diplomatic presence.

New Delhi also asked Canada to clamp anti-India elements operating from its soil and suspended visa services for Canadians, as escalating tensions between the two nations over the killing of Nijjar pushed their ties to an all-time low.