Canada evacuates many diplomats from India amid ’deadline’ from New Delhi: Report

Mangalore Today News Network

New Delhi, Oct 06, 2023: The Canadian government has reportedly evacuated a majority of its diplomats in India after India reportedly asked the country to reduce reits diplomatic staff.

According to a report by Canada’s CTV News, diplomats who were stationed outside New Delhi have been relocated to either Kuala Lumpur or Singapore amid the diplomatic dispute surrounding the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

 

Earlier this week, India asked Canada to withdraw approximately 40 diplomats by October 10, a London-based newspaper, Financial Times, reported. It stated that the Indian government has also threatened to strip the diplomatic immunity of any Canadian diplomats who remain in the country after the deadline.

On Thursday, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson, Arindam Bagchi, stated that India has asked Canada to reduce diplomatic staff 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.

The exact number of diplomats relocated from India now remains unclear.

"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.

However, neither Indian officials nor their Canadian counterparts have officially responded to the development so far.

Diplomatic relations between India and Canada deteriorated recently after Trudeau, On September 19, alleged a "potential" involvement of Indian agents" in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Nijjar was a Canadian citizen and was shot dead by two masked gunmen on June 18 in British Columbia.

However, dismissing the allegations, India responded strongly and called the charges "absurd’ and "motivated." In a tit-for-tat response to Canada’s expulsion of an Indian official, New Delhi had also expelled a senior Canadian diplomat.

Courtesy: India Today