India asks Canada to withdraw its diplomats
Dozens of employees are expected to leave the country.
The crisis in India-Canada relations has not only not been resolved, but reached another peak today. The Modi government has demanded that Canada recall most of its diplomatic staff: 41 of 62. This was stated by some media outlets quoting sources in the Indian government.
India gives a one-week deadline to fulfill the demand. Any "extra" Canadian officials remaining after October 10 will lose their diplomatic immunity.
At the moment, Canada has far more diplomats in New Delhi than India has in Ottawa. India is now asking Canada for parity in diplomatic missions. The demand stems from Justin Trudeau's Sept. 18 public statement that there is "credible" evidence of Indian involvement in the murder of Sikh separatist and Canadian citizen Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
Comments from officials
Indian Foreign Minister Subramanyam Jaishankar declined to comment.
Justin Trudeau responded to the journalists' inquiry:
"We’re taking this extremely seriously, but we’re going to continue to engage responsibly and constructively with the government of India."
Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly also commented on what is happening:
"We are in contact with the government of India. We take Canadian diplomats’ safety very seriously, and we will continue to engage privately because we think that diplomatic conversations are best when they remain private."
Earlier
Nijjar, 45, who was shot dead in June, was an Indian-born supporter of a free Khalistan. India accused him of extremism and, after Trudeau's speech, accused Canada of aiding and abetting terrorism. India has since stopped issuing visas in Canada, but Ottawa has not responded to the measures.
