Canada removes 41 diplomats from India after New Delhi threatens to revoke their immunity

TORONTO (AP):

Canada has recalled 41 of its diplomats from India after the Indian government said it would revoke their diplomatic immunity, the foreign minister said Thursday, in an escalation of their dispute over the slaying of a Sikh separatist in Canada.

The moves come after Canada’s allegations that India may have been involved in the June killing of Canadian citizen Hardeep Singh Nijjar in suburban Vancouver. India has accused Canada of harbouring separatists and “terrorists”, but dismissed the allegation of its involvement in the killing as “absurd” and has taken diplomatic steps to express its anger over the accusation.

Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly said Thursday that 41 of Canada’s 62 diplomats in India have been removed, along with their dependents. Joly said exceptions have been made for 21 Canadian diplomats who will remain in India.

“Forty-one Canadian diplomats and their 42 dependents were in danger of having their immunity stripped on an arbitrary date, and this would put their personal safety at risk,” Joly said. “Our diplomats and their families have now left.”

Joly said removing diplomatic immunity is not only unprecedented but contrary to international law, and said, for that reason, Canada wouldn’t threaten to do the same thing with Indian diplomats.

“A unilateral revocation of the diplomatic privilege and immunity is contrary to international law and a clear violation of the Geneva Convention on diplomatic relations. Threatening to do so is unreasonable and escalatory,” Joly said.

Joly said India’s decision will impact the level of services to citizens of both countries. She said Canada is pausing in-person services in Chandigarh, Mumbai and Bangalore.

India’s Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi had previously called for a reduction in Canadian diplomats in India, saying they outnumbered India’s staffing in Canada.