Diplomatic Tensions Escalate: India Tells Canada to Remove 41 of Its 62 Diplomats

The move escalates a conflict between the two countries amid Canadian claims that India may be to blame for the murder of a Sikh separatist movement leader in a Vancouver suburb. Suppose you are one of those looking to book international flights from Canada to India. In that case, it is important that you first learn about “Diplomatic Tensions Escalate: India Tells Canada to Remove 41 of Its 62 Diplomats”.

TORONTO (AP) — According to a source with knowledge of the situation, India has given Canada instructions to remove 41 of its 62 diplomats from the country, escalating a dispute between the two countries over Canadian claims that India may have been responsible for the murder of a Sikh separatist leader in a suburban Vancouver neighborhood.

The official, supporting an earlier Financial Times report, spoke on the condition of anonymity because they lacked authorization to do so.

The Indian Ministry of External Affairs declined to comment, but Arindam Bagchi, a spokesman for the department, has previously demanded a reduction in the number of Canadian diplomats stationed in India since they outnumbered Indian staffers there.

Last month, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stated that there were “credible allegations” of Indian involvement in the murder of Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar, 45, who masked gunmen assassinated in June in Surrey, south of Vancouver. India has long claimed that Nijjar, a Canadian citizen born in India, has ties to terrorism. Najjar has consistently refuted this claim.

It would be astonishing to plan the murder of a Canadian citizen in a country where over 2 million individuals claim Indian origin.

On Tuesday, Trudeau hinted that Canada would not take action, but he did not clarify the number of diplomats who have been ordered to leave.

Despite the strained relations between Canada and India, Trudeau stated, “We must have diplomats on the ground working with the Indian government and there to support Canadians and Canadian families.” “We’re taking this very seriously, but we’re going to continue to engage with the Indian government in a responsible and constructive manner.”

Foreign Minister of Canada Melanie Joly stated that they are in communication with the Indian government.

“We will continue to speak in private because, in our opinion, diplomacy is best served by private conversations,” Joly said.

According to India, Canada has granted Nijjar and other Sikh separatists free reign for years.

Canada’s visas have also been revoked by India. Canada hasn’t taken offense to that. After Canada dismissed a senior Indian diplomat, India earlier expelled a senior Canadian diplomat.

Prior to that, Trudeau appeared to be seeking to defuse the diplomatic stalemate by telling reporters that Canada “is not looking to provoke or escalate.”

According to a different Canadian official who spoke to The Associated Press earlier, the suspicion that India was involved in the murder is partly based on the surveillance of Indian diplomats in Canada, including information from a significant ally.

According to the person, some of the intelligence in the interactions involving Indian officials and diplomats in Canada came from a member of the “Five Eyes” information-sharing alliance, which also consists of the United States, New Zealand, Australia, and Britain. The official spoke only on the condition of anonymity because they lacked authorization to discuss the subject in public.

The most recent expulsions from India have heightened tensions between the countries. Trudeau and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had harsh exchanges during the Group of 20 conference last month in New Delhi. A few days later, Canada decided to postpone its fall trade mission to India.

Daniel Béland, a political science professor at McGill University in Montreal, said that this was “clearly a show of force on the part of the Modi government, who’s not afraid to escalate this diplomatic crisis.” It is a severe measure that severely limits the operations of Canada’s diplomatic services in India.

According to Béland, many Indian people would suffer, notably temporary workers and international students who need a Canadian visa.

“The U.S. needs to do more to resolve this diplomatic crisis,” he said.

Last week, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with India’s foreign minister amidst the simmering conflict between New Delhi and Ottawa. Apparently, the matter was raised, according to a U.S. official.

The consequences of the accusations, according to U.S. officials, might significantly affect relations with India, but they have taken care not to place blame for Nijjar’s passing.

When asked about the situation with India dismissing 41 Canadian diplomats, U.S. State Department deputy spokesman Vedant Patel responded, “We are and continue to be deeply concerned by the allegations.”

“It is crucial for Canada’s probe to proceed, and authorities must prosecute the offenders. We have pleaded with India to engage in both formal and informal cooperation. We take these complaints seriously.

Nijjar, a plumber, was also a significant player in the faltering Khalistan movement, which aimed to form a sovereign Sikh state. During the 1970s and 1980s, a deadly decade-long Sikh insurgency shook north India before the government quelled it in a crackdown that resulted in the deaths of thousands of people, including notable Sikh leaders. Also of you are looking for flight deals from USA to India checkout Tripbeam.com

Despite losing much of its political influence, the Khalistan movement still has supporters in the Indian state of Punjab and among the sizable Sikh diaspora worldwide. The Indian government has consistently cautioned against complacency, even though it ended the active insurgency of the Sikh separatist movement years ago.

According to Nelson Wiseman, a political science professor at the University of Toronto, India’s actions are “consistent with international reports of declining press freedoms” in the country.

According to Wiseman, the Modi administration, like the Chinese government, thinks it is more prepared than ever to make a statement on the international scene.

Furthermore, according to Wiseman, if the number of Indian students drastically falls, Canadian institutions could no longer be able to afford their high tuition rates.

Therefore, right now this is almost everything you need to know about why India told Canada to remove 41 of its 62 diplomats in the country. Additionally, if you are seeking cheap air tickets from Toronto to Delhi, make sure to check out Tripbeam, the best online travel website to find the most affordable flight deals to India.

Also Read: India’s stand vague on Canada to India flights in Punjab