India's main opposition party, Congress, has come out in support of the Narendra Modi government amid an escalating diplomatic row with Canada.
Former federal minister Jairam Ramesh, who heads the Congress' communications department, has stated that there should not be any compromise on India's territorial integrity.
"The Indian National Congress has always believed that our country's fight against terrorism has to be uncompromising, especially when terrorism threatens India's sovereignty, unity and integrity. Our country's interests and concerns must be kept paramount at all times", Ramesh wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
What Are Trudeau's Allegations Against India?
Ramesh's comments came hours after diplomatic ties between New Delhi and Ottawa hit a nadir following Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's accusations against India.
According to the Canadian leader, "Indian agents" were involved in executing Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Khalistani terrorist wanted in India for hate crimes.
Nijjar, the head of the extremist organization Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF), was a Canadian national. Before he reportedly lost his life in an inter-gang fight in Vancouver in June, Nijjar was seen as the main man behind rallying support for the Khalistan cause in Canada.
"Any involvement of a foreign government in the killing of a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil is an unacceptable violation of our sovereignty. It is contrary to the fundamental rules by which free, open, and democratic societies conduct themselves", Trudeau informed lawmakers in the country's parliament.
Subsequently, Ottawa announced that it had expelled a senior Indian diplomat over the matter. Although Canadian authorities did not specify who the diplomat was, media reports suggested that the chief of India's external spy agency, the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), in the North American nation had been asked to leave.
New Delhi Hits Back at Ottawa
In response, India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) issued a strong rebuttal to Trudeau's allegations, calling them "absurd and motivated".
"Such unsubstantiated allegations seek to shift the focus from Khalistani terrorists and extremists, who have been provided shelter in Canada and continue to threaten India's sovereignty and territorial integrity. The inaction of the Canadian Government on this matter has been a long-standing and continuing concern", a statement from the MEA read.
Furthermore, in a tit-for-tat move, New Delhi asked a senior Canadian diplomat to leave the country. The diplomat, who remains unnamed as of now, has been given five days by the government to exit India.
Why Have Ties Between India and Canada Nosedived?
Ties between India and Canada have been strained for years. However, relations between the two countries have witnessed growing uneasiness in recent months, particularly over rising incidents of Khalistani separatists targeting Indian diplomatic missions, and Hindu places of worship.
India has repeatedly urged the Trudeau government to take a stern stand against Khalistani activists, emphasizing that their acts, calling for the disintegration of India, are not good for the bilateral ties between the two nations.
Earlier this month, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi rebuked his Canadian counterpart for going soft on Khalistan activists when he met him during the G20 summit in New Delhi.