Canada’s foreign minister said Thursday that the country has recalled 41 of its dip-lomats from India after the Indian government said it would revoke their diplomatic immunity, escalating a spat over the slaying of a Sikh separatist in Canada.

The moves come after Canada’s allegations that India may have been involved in the June killing of Canadian citizen Hardeep Singh Nijjar in suburban Vancouver. India has accused Canada of harbouring separatists and “terrorists”, but dismissed the allegation of its in-volvement in the killing as “absurd” and has taken diplomatic steps to express its anger over the accusation.