Canada: India has told Canada to withdraw around 40 diplomats by October 10 amid the snowballing diplomatic row between the two countries over Ottawa’s allegations of New Delhi’s involvement in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar on Canadian soil, a report by The Financial Times said.
A person with direct knowledge of the matter told the newspaper that India has threatened to strip off the diplomatic immunity of any Canadian diplomat if they remained in the country after October 10.
Canada has 62 diplomats in India, while New Delhi has told them to reduce the headcount to 41 at their high commission, according to The Financial Times.
“Declaring more Canadian diplomats personae non gratae wouldn’t help the situation and would make reducing the emotions associated with this disagreement more difficult,” Peter Boehm, chair of the Canadian Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade was quoted as saying by the newspaper.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau does not expect to back down, said Boehm, adding that India saw Canada as “an easy mark”. He asserted that New Delhi was aware of Ottawa’s limited capacity to retaliate since the latter has a minority government.
Trudeau, who is the leader of the Liberal Party, shares power with Indian-origin and Canadian Sikh leader Jagmeet Singh, who heads the New Democratic Party (NDP).
“India knows our capacity to retaliate is limited, that we have a minority government and is aware of the consequent politics at play. And, of course, India has an election on the horizon,” Boehms was quoted by The Financial Times as saying.
Canada has a lot more diplomatic presence at its high commission in New Delhi compared with India’s presence in Ottawa, primarily due to the extensive consular section required for the families of the approximately 1.3 million Canadians with Indian heritage.
India had suspended visa services in Canada until further notice with effect from September 21. In a strongly-worded advisory, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in New Delhi referred to “threats” targeting Indian diplomats and sections of the Indian community that oppose the “anti-India agenda”, and asked Indian nationals to avoid travelling to regions and potential venues in Canada which have seen such incidents.
However, the latest move may lead to additional challenges for Trudeau, who is under pressure at home to take action while simultaneously seeking support from Western allies keen on strengthening ties with New Delhi as a counterbalance to China.
Trudeau’s accusation, linking India with the murder of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who Trudeau government insists was a peaceful activist and a religious leader, has jeopardised close connections India has been forging with several Western powers, especially the US.
The United States is worried about what Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said about India’s potential hands in the murder of a Khalistani activist and wants the Indian nation, with whom US has developed a cordial relation, to cooperate with Canada’s investigation into the killing.
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