India has asked Canada to withdraw over 40 of its diplomats from India, as their row escalates over the murder of a Sikh community leader.
Repatriation
New Delhi asked Ottawa to repatriate at least 41 diplomats by 10 October, according to people familiar with the matter. One person told the Financial Times (FT) that India has also threatened to revoke the diplomatic immunity of those who remain in the country following that date.
The Canadian Foreign Ministry and the Indian government both declined to comment on the development. However, previously, India had said that it wanted “parity” in the number and grade of Indian and Canadian diplomats in each other’s country.
As of now, Canada has a much higher number of diplomats at its high commission in New Delhi than India has in Ottawa, due to a big consular section needed for the relatives of roughly 1.3 million Canadian citizens who claim Indian heritage.
A source told FT that Canada currently has about 62 diplomats in India.
India called for parity in the number of Indian diplomats in Canada with the number of Canadian diplomats in India in the week Canada PM made allegations. The reduction in the number of Canadian diplomats in Delhi is naturally part of that process. https://t.co/EBZDza0bOC
— Sidhant Sibal (@sidhant) October 3, 2023
India-Canada Row
Earlier last month, Canadian PM Justin Trudeau told the Candian parliament about “credible allegations” of Indian agents being involved in Khalistani separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar’s killing in British Columbia in June. Subsequently, India dismissed these claims as “absurd” and “motivated.”
In addition, India announced a visa ban for Canadians a day after Trudeau’s revelation.
Later, both countries expelled each other’s diplomats in a tit-for-tat move. Last week, India also suspended visa services for Canadians, citing security concerns at its diplomatic missions in the North American nation.
Meanwhile, Canada has amended its travel advisory for its residents in India, urging them to “stay vigilant and exercise caution” in light of recent developments, including calls for protests and “negative sentiment” towards Canada on social media.
India has not admitted involvement in Nijjar’s murder. However, it has also not denied the claim, according to people familiar with the secret diplomatic meetings between the two governments.
Instead, the Indian government has consistently rejected Canada’s allegations, calling them “politically driven.”
Despite the uproar, Trudeau has highlighted India’s growing economic power and its important role as a geopolitical player. “As we presented with our Indo-Pacific strategy just last year, we’re very serious about building closer ties with India,” he said last week.