India’s government is denying that it works together with mobsters to target Sikh separatists in Canada as alleged publicly this week by Canadian officials in an escalating diplomatic dispute.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Wednesday said India made "a horrific mistake" by thinking it could interfere as aggressively as it allegedly did in Canada's sovereignty.

Although the tit-for-tat move sent bilateral relations skidding to a new low, Narendra Modi and Justin Trudeau are unlikely to mind too much. Both leaders are in their third terms and face political challenges.