Two months ago, relations between India and Canada deteriorated swiftly when Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that prosecutors possessed “credible evidence” that the Indian state was behind the assassination of a Sikh separatist in British Columbia. It now looks like — if Indian intelligence did in fact arrange that killing — it may not have been a one-time event. The White House has confirmed that it is “deeply concerned” that there was a similar plot to kill another Sikh separatist, this time on U.S. soil.
The Indian response to Canadian accusations contained more than a trace of contempt. Trudeau was criticized in the Indian press for being weak and unpopular, with the implication that his accusations were drummed up for political reasons. And in case that wasn’t enough, government officials accused Canada of being a “nexus” for organized crime, terrorism, and human trafficking.
