Canada’s Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, once again commented on the ongoing dispute, stating that the Indian government’s actions against Canadian diplomats were creating hardships for millions of people in both countries.
This conflict began over a month ago when Canada accused India of involvement in the murder of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. In response, India swiftly denied the allegations and took retaliatory measures by expelling Canada’s top diplomat in Delhi. Subsequently, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs called on Canada to withdraw 41 diplomats to achieve diplomatic balance between the two nations. It warned that if Canada failed to do so, New Delhi would unilaterally revoke their diplomatic immunity. Following this warning, Canada relocated its 41 diplomats to different countries.
Prime Minister Trudeau, in his recent remarks, expressed concern about India’s actions against Canadian diplomats, emphasizing that they were causing disruptions for people in both India and Canada. He also accused New Delhi of violating a fundamental diplomatic principle. Trudeau noted that the expulsion of Canadian diplomats would impact travel, trade, and create difficulties for Indian students studying in Canada.
“The Government of India decided to unilaterally revoke the diplomatic immunity of 40 Canadian diplomats in India. This is a violation of the Vienna Convention governing diplomacy… It is something that all countries in the world should be worried about, and this is putting aside the allegations we made of a serious violation of international law with the alleged killing of a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil that the Indian government could have been involved in… The Indian government is making it unbelievably difficult for life as usual to continue for millions of people in India and in Canada, and they’re doing it by contravening a very basic principle of diplomacy,” stated Trudeau.
Canada’s Foreign Minister, Melanie Joly, had previously declared that revoking the diplomatic immunity of 41 diplomats was unprecedented and contrary to international law. Canada also announced the cessation of operations at their three consulates in India.
However, India maintained that its actions regarding diplomatic parity were in line with the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations (VCDR). India justified its position, citing the state of bilateral relations, the larger number of Canadian diplomats in India, and their alleged interference in India’s internal affairs as reasons for seeking mutual diplomatic balance between New Delhi and Ottawa.
In the midst of this diplomatic standoff, the United States expressed its concerns about the departure of 41 Canadian diplomats from India and called on the Indian government not to insist on reducing Canada’s diplomatic presence. The U.S. State Department spokesperson, Matthew Miller, stated during a recent press briefing that Washington was worried about the departure of Canadian diplomats in response to the Indian government’s demands. He urged India to cooperate with the ongoing Canadian investigation.
