Country's interests, concerns must be kept paramount: Cong on Canada issue

The Congress on Tuesday said the country's interests and concerns must be kept paramount and its fight against terrorism has to be uncompromising, amid a row between India and Canada over the killing of a Khalistani separatist leader in that country.

India announced the expulsion of a Canadian diplomat on Thursday hours after Canada asked an Indian official to leave that country, citing a "potential" Indian link to the killing of the separatist leader in June.

"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," Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said in a post on 'X'.

"Our country's interests and concerns must be kept paramount at all times," he added.

India has outrightly rejected as "baseless" and "motivated" Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's claim of a "potential link" between Indian government agents and the killing of a Khalistani separatist leader and sought prompt legal action against anti-India elements operating from Canada.

After Trudeau made the comments in the Canadian Parliament, his Foreign Minister Melanie Joly announced that a top Indian diplomat had been expelled from Canada.

Joly's office said the diplomat is Pavan Kumar Rai, the head of the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), according to Canadian broadcaster CBC News.