‘Everything Is On The Table’: Canadian FM Hints At Possible Sanctions Against India

Amidst the escalations of tensions between India and Canada after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused India of supporting criminal activities that targeted Canadian citizens, the Foreign Minister of Canada Melanie Joly has pointed towards the possibility of imposing sanctions against India by stating that ‘everything is on the table’.

During a presser, the Foreign Minister, in response to a question whether the country is looking to impose sanctions on India, said, “Expulsing diplomats is one of the highest and toughest measures that a country can take under the Vienna convention. For the rest, we will continue to push India to make sure they cooperate. We Will continue to engage with our five eyes partners. We will also continue to engage with the G7 partners. Everything is on the table.

The diplomatic row intensified when Canada notified the expulsion of six Indian diplomats. Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs took to X (formerly Twitter) to state that the decision to expel the Indian diplomats was taken based on the evidence gathered by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) in India-designated terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar killing case.

She Wrote, “Keeping Canadians safe is our government’s top priority. The decision to expel individuals was based on clear evidence gathered by the RCMP in the Nijjar case. We urge the Indian government to support our ongoing investigation for the benefit of both countries.”

The Prime Minister of Canada Trudeau has accused Indian government agents of involvement in the killing of Nijjar, a Canadian citizen. However, India has denied any involvement and dismissed the accusations as absurd and politically motivated. Now, both countries have expelled the diplomats in a tit-for-tat exchange.