Canada Withdraws Diplomats Amid India’s Demand To Reduce its Staff

According to reports, the majority of Canada’s diplomats in India have left the country after India reportedly requested Canada to reduce its diplomatic staff.

In view of the diplomatic row over the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, diplomats stationed outside of New Delhi have reportedly been transferred to either Kuala Lumpur or Singapore.

India requested that Canada remove about 40 diplomats by October 10 this week, according to a report in the Financial Times, a newspaper based in London. It claimed that if any Canadian diplomats remain in India after the deadline, the Indian government will revoke their diplomatic immunity.

According to Arindam Bagchi, a spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs, Canada has been asked by India to reduce diplomatic staff in order to “bring parity.”

Given the much higher diplomatic presence in India and their continuing interference in our internal affairs, we had sought parity in our respective diplomatic presence,” Bagchi said.

“Earlier reports pegged the number of diplomats that would have to leave at 41, but the sources CTV News spoke with said the ask is specific to one of parity. A majority of the Canadian diplomats working in India outside of Delhi have been evacuated to either Kuala Lumpur or Singapore,” the report by a private broadcaster in Canada said.

Following Trudeau’s September 19 allegation of a “potential” involvement of Indian agents in the murder of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, diplomatic ties between India and Canada recently deteriorated. Nijjar, a citizen of Canada, was killed on June 18 in British Columbia by two hooded assailants.

India, in response, strongly denied the accusations and labelled them “absurd” and “motivated.” In retaliation for Ottawa’s decision to expel an Indian official, New Delhi had also expelled a senior Canadian diplomat.

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