“The Indian government made a horrific mistake in thinking that they could interfere as aggressively as they did in the safety and sovereignty of Canada, and we need to respond in order to ensure Canadians’ safety,” Trudeau said Wednesday in testimony at a formal public inquiry into foreign interference.

Canada’s closest allies signaled they will continue to pursue stronger ties with Narendra Modi’s government, despite Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s allegations that Indian diplomats secretly collected intelligence on Sikh separatists living in Canada who were then threatened,

The killing of a Sikh separatist in Canada last year was part of a broader campaign of violence against Indian dissidents directed by a senior official in the Indian government and an operative in the country’s spy agency,

Experts say the confrontation between India and Canada over the killing of a Sikh activist could affect India's ambitions as it seeks to position itself as a global power, according to AP. Michael Kugelman of the US-based Wilson Center think tank said India's strong reaction is partly due to how publicly Canada has made its accusations.