The statement didn’t name the Canadian diplomat, but people familiar with the matter said Olivier Sylvestere, the Canadian intelligence agency’s station chief in New Delhi, had been asked to leave the country. The decision reflects the Indian government's “growing concern at the interference of Canadian diplomats in our internal matters and their involvement in anti-India activities", it added. The diplomat was asked to leave within five days, the ministry said in a brief statement. Hours later, Canadian envoy Cameron MacKay was summoned to the external affairs ministry and informed of the government’s decision to expel a senior Canadian diplomat. While it is not unusual for countries to expel operatives of a foreign intelligence agency, it is rare for them to identify the expelled official. Soon after Trudeau made the claim in Canada’s Parliament, foreign minister Mélanie Joly announced the expulsion of a “top Indian diplomat." Joly's office identified the diplomat as Pavan Kumar Rai, the head of India’s Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) in Canada, according to public broadcaster CBC. “The protection of our citizens and defence of our sovereignty are fundamental," he said. On Monday, Trudeau told Canada’s House of Commons that the country’s security agencies “have been actively pursuing credible allegations of a potential link between agents of the Government of India and the killing of a Canadian citizen, Hardeep Singh Nijjar."
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