Canada and India each expelled six diplomats on Monday in tit-for-tat moves as part of an escalating dispute over the June 2023 assassination of a Sikh activist in Canada.

Relations have been fraught since the incident, when Justin Trudeau, the Canadian prime minister, said he had evidence linking Indian agents to the death of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Sikh separatist leader.

India has denied Mr Trudeau’s accusation.

On Monday India said it had withdrawn six diplomats, including the country’s ambassador in Ottawa, after they were declared a “persons of interest” in the investigation into the killing.

It dismissed Canada’s move and accused Mr Trudeau of pursuing a “political agenda”.

India’s foreign ministry said: “We have no faith in the current Canadian government’s commitment to ensure their security. Therefore, the government of India has decided to withdraw the high commissioner and other targeted diplomats and officials.”

Canadian sources said they had been expelled, not withdrawn.

‘Irrefutable evidence’

India later said it had asked the six Canadian diplomats to leave by Oct 19.

It also said it had summoned Stewart Wheeler, the Canadian Charge d’Affaires, to protest.

Canada’s government has not publicly confirmed that it has named any Indian official as a person of interest.

On Monday, Mr Wheeler reiterated Mr Trudeau’s accusation, saying in a statement: “Canada has provided credible, irrefutable evidence of ties between agents of the government of India and the murder of a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil.

“Now, it is time for India to live up to what it said it would do and look into those allegations.”

India has repeatedly said Canada has not shared any evidence to back its claim.

‘Smearing India for political gains’

“This latest step follows interactions that have again witnessed assertions without any facts. This leaves little doubt that on the pretext of an investigation, there is a deliberate strategy of smearing India for political gains,” India’s foreign ministry said.

Canada withdrew more than 40 diplomats from India in October 2023 after New Delhi asked Ottawa to reduce its diplomatic presence.

In June, a committee of Canadian parliamentarians named India and China as the main foreign threats to its democratic institutions, based on input from intelligence agencies.

The United States has also alleged that Indian agents were involved in an attempted assassination plot against another Sikh separatist leader in New York in 2023, and said it had indicted an Indian national working at the behest of an unnamed Indian government official.

India expressed concern after the US raised the issue, dissociating itself from the plot, and has launched an investigation.