India reacted strongly after Ottawa named Indian High Commissioner Sanjay Kumar Verma a 'person of interest' in Canada's murder case of pro-Khalistan Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijja. New Delhi expelled 6 Canadian diplomats on Monday.

They have been asked to leave India by next Saturday, reported NDTV Online.

The Government of India decided to withdraw its High Commissioner and other diplomats and officials from Canada on the same day. At the same time, New Delhi threatened to summon Canada's Charge d'Affaires and take further action. The decision to expel Canadian diplomats came a few hours later.

A press release announced the names of the expelled diplomats. They are Acting High Commissioner Stuart Ross Wheeler, Deputy High Commissioner Patrick Hebert, four First Secretaries Mary Catherine Jolley, Lan Ross David Treats, Paula Oriella and Adam James Chuipka.

Canada earlier said it had brought Indian diplomats, including Ambassador Sanjay Kumar Verma, under investigation as 'suspicious persons', stemming from the killing of Sikh leader Nijjar last year.

The Canadian government's investigative body named the Indian high commissioner as a 'person of interest' in the Nijjar murder case. The country said no legal action was taken against him due to diplomatic 'protection'.

In response to this, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of India said that the Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's action is purposeful and unreasonable. Despite repeated requests, the Canadian government has not provided any evidence of India's involvement in the Nijja massacre.

Before this, in a statement from the Canadian government on Sunday, it was said that the Indian High Commissioner is also on the list of those whose interests are involved in the killing of Nijja.

However, a section of India's Ministry of External Affairs feels that the Trudeau government is re-introducing the Nijra controversy to gain support from Khalistani groups in Canada's upcoming parliamentary elections.