Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in Ottawa on Monday that the Canadian government has expelled six Indian diplomats from Canada because New Delhi refused to cooperate in criminal investigations. The move came shortly after India expelled six Canadian diplomats, as part of an escalating dispute over the June 2023 killing of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada.

“This weekend, Canadian officials took an extraordinary step. They met with Indian officials to share RCMP evidence which concluded six agents of the government of India are persons of interest in criminal activities. And despite repeated requests to the government of India, it has decided not to cooperate,” Trudeau said.

“Let me be clear. The evidence brought to light by the RCMP cannot be ignored. It leads to one conclusion: it is necessary to disrupt the criminal activities that continue to pose a threat to public safety in Canada,” Trudeau added.

“I know the events of the past year and today's revelations have shaken many Canadians, particularly those in the IndoCanadian and Sikh communit[ies]. Many of you are angry. Upset. Frightened. I get that. This shouldn't happen,” Trudeau said.

He said Canada is still asking India to cooperate with RCMP probes into violent incidents and coercive behaviour linked to agents of the Indian government, and that he believes the Indian government made “a fundamental error” in thinking they could support “criminal activity against Canadians” on Canadian soil.

00:00 Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks
05:27 Public Minister Dominc LeBlanc provides remarks
07:55 Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly gives remarks
12:25 Officials take questions from media
26:46 LeBlanc and Joly continue to take questions after Trudeau's departure

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