Memories of the decade-long armed Sikh insurgency – which peaked in the 1980s and in which thousands of people died – remain strong in India.
So when Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused Delhi of involvement in the death of a Canadian Sikh leader, many Indians reacted angrily.
Mr Trudeau said Canadian intelligence was looking at “credible allegations potentially linking” the Indian state to the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a prominent campaigner for a separate Sikh homeland who was shot dead on 18 June in British Columbia (BC).
India has rejected the claim as “absurd”.
As Delhi and Ottawa face-off in their worst-ever diplomatic row, Indian analysts, political commentators and leaders have been sounding off on social media.