India-Canada diplomatic spat escalates as Ottawa pulls out 41 diplomats
India and Canada are locked in a dispute over Ottawa's claims that the Indian government orchestrated the extra-judicial slaying of a Sikh separatist in Vancouver.
Ottawa was forced to reduce its India staff when India demanded parity.
The Canadian government says there are "credible accusations" that the Indian government orchestrated an extra-judicial killing of a Sikh Separatist in Canada.
Canada can only offer consular services in person at its High Commission, New Delhi.
Canada has withdrawn 41 diplomats from India and their families after New Delhi threatened that their diplomatic immunity would be revoked, if Ottawa didn't comply with its demands for parity when it comes to diplomatic staffing.
The Canadian Foreign Ministry issued a statement Thursday confirming that India had formally announced its intention to unilaterally remove immunity for all Canadian diplomats and their dependents, except 21 of them, in New Delhi before October 20, 2023.
This effectively reduced Canada's diplomatic presence in India, its biggest source of new immigrants. Canada is now forced to
Temporarily suspending in-person services
Consulates in Bengaluru and Chandigarh, as well as Mumbai are closed, so the High Commission of India in New Delhi is now the only location in India that can offer services to a country which has been its biggest source of new migrants.
After office hours, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs didn't immediately respond to CNBC's request for a comment.
Tensions between the countries
In September, the number of incidents escalated
When Justin Trudeau, the Canadian Prime Minister, claimed that there were "
Credible allegations
The Indian government orchestrated an extra-judicial killing of a Sikh Separatist in Canada.
India, after expulsion of its diplomats by Canada last month, issued a travel alert for its citizens. It also suspended visa applications to Canada and demanded for
Parity in diplomatic staffing
Ottawa was forced to reduce the number of staff in India.
"A unilateral revocation diplomatic privileges and immunity is against international law including the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations." "This action by India is totally unreasonable and escalatory", it said.
"Diplomatic immunity should be respected, and it cannot be unilaterally revoked" by the host country. Canada stated that if we allowed this norm to break, there would be no diplomats anywhere safe.
As such, Canada's government will continue to follow diplomatic norms by not retaliating.