India has dismissed allegations that its government was linked to the killing of a Sikh activist in Canada as ‘absurd’ and has expelled a senior Canadian diplomat in response. The incident follows Canada’s expulsion of a top Indian diplomat as it investigates credible allegations that the Indian government may have had links to the assassination of Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Nijjar was organizing a referendum for an independent Sikh nation in India, which is banned and seen as a national security threat. Canada and India now face strained relations, with trade talks derailed and tensions escalating between pro-Khalistan groups and the Indian government.