OTTAWA – Canada has withdrawn 41 of its diplomats from India after the Indian government announced it would revoke their diplomatic immunity, the foreign minister said Thursday, escalating their conflict over the death of a Sikh separatist in the North American country.
The actions follow claims made by Ottawa that New Delhi may have been engaged in the murder of Canadian citizen Hardeep Singh Nijjar in suburban Vancouver in June.
India has accused Canada of harbouring separatists and “terrorists,” but it has called the claim that it was responsible for the murder “absurd” and has taken diplomatic measures to show its indignation at the charge.
According to Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly, 41 of Canada’s 62 diplomats in India have been recalled together with their families. Joly said that 21 Canadian diplomats who will stay in India have received an exception.
The physical safety of 41 Canadian ambassadors and their 42 dependents was in jeopardy of having their immunity revoked on an arbitrary date, according to Joly. Our diplomats have already departed with their families.
Joly asserted that Canada would not threaten to do the same to Indian diplomats because lifting diplomatic immunity is not only unprecedented, but also against international law.
