Canada flies diplomats out of India to Kuala Lumpur, Singapore: Report

PTI

Toronto, October 6

Canada has evacuated a majority of its diplomats working in India outside of New Delhi to either Kuala Lumpur or Singapore after it gave Ottawa an October 10 deadline to reduce its diplomatic staff to achieve parity in strength following a row over the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, according to a media report on Friday.

The report came after India earlier this week asked Canada to withdraw several diplomats from its missions amid the escalating diplomatic row that erupted following Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s allegation linking Indian agents to the killing of Khalistani terrorist Nijjar in June. India rejected the allegations as “absurd” and “motivated” and expelled a senior Canadian diplomat in a tit-for-tat move to Ottawa’s expulsion of an Indian official over the case.

Global Affairs Canada, the department that manages the country’s diplomatic and consular relations, had previously stated that “with some diplomats having received threats on various social media platforms”, it was “assessing its staff complement in India”. “As a result, and out of an abundance of caution, we have decided to temporarily adjust staff presence in India,” the department said, just days after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused the Indian Government of being involved in the murder.

India on Thursday asserted that Canada must reduce its diplomatic presence in the country to achieve parity in strength and alleged that some of the Canadian diplomats were involved in interfering in New Delhi’s internal matters, signalling a continuing slide in the ties between the two nations over Nijjar’s killing.

External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said in New Delhi that discussions on the modalities to arrive at mutual diplomatic presence were going on and gave a clear indication that India would not review its position on the issue.

He said as Canadian diplomatic presence in India was much higher as compared to India’s strength in Canada, “it is assumed that there would be a reduction”.

“Our focus is on ensuring parity in diplomatic strength,” he said.

It is learnt that the number of Canadian diplomats in India is around 60 and New Delhi wants Ottawa to reduce the strength by at least three dozen. Asked whether Canada has shared with India any information or evidence relating to Nijjar’s killing, Bagchi referred to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s recent remarks that if any specific or relevant information was shared with New Delhi, it was open to looking into it. — PTI

Diplomatic strength

External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi had on Thursday stated that as Canadian diplomatic presence in India was much higher as compared to India’s strength in Canada, “it is assumed that there will be a reduction”. “Our focus is on ensuring parity in diplomatic strength,” he said.

Brampton: eight charged in arms case

Toronto: The police in Canada have apprehended eight Sikh youths aged between 19 and 26 years for possessing loaded, prohibited or restricted firearms in Brampton city in Ontario province.

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