Prime Minister Justin Trudeau informed his administration is “not looking to escalate” a political row with New Delhi, but failed to say whether Canada would contest India’s informed decision to request for the elimination of 41 Canadian diplomats.
Trudeau made the remarks on his way into the Liberal caucus conference in Ottawa on Tuesday, hours later India stated Canada that it must expel 41 diplomats by Oct. 10, conferring to a story initial published in the Financial Times earlier in the day.
The newspaper, citing individuals acquainted with the Indian request, said India had threatened to withdraw the diplomatic immunity of ambassadors who were expressed to leave and who continue after Oct. 10.
Enquired if his government would react by asking India to remove representatives based in Canada, Trudeau claimed his government would try to keep working with New Delhi.
We’re not looking to escalate, we’re going to be conducting the efforts that matters in continuing to have positive relations with India through this tremendously difficult time, Trudeau said.
Bonds between India and Canada have worsened in current weeks, after Trudeau proclaimed there were “reliable allegations” of Indian participation in the murder of Sikh freedom activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
Nijjar, 45, had been hunted by India for years and was gunned down outside a Sikh temple in Surrey, B.C., on June 18. India has terminated the claim as ridiculous.
Trudeau said Canada’s political relationship with India is “going through a very challenging time” and that the current disagreement between the two countries has made it “vital for us to have representatives on the ground working with the Indian government there to help Canadians and Canadian families.”
The prime minister informed that his administration is taking the political dispute “very seriously” and is irritating to “participate responsibly and beneficially” with India to resolve it out.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre alleged he is very worried about India’s verdict to ask for the exclusion of Canadian ambassadors and that his party will “follow the situation” to defend Canadians here and abroad.
Poilievre further stated that he would be speaking with Conservative MP Michael Chong, the party’s foreign affairs critic, whom the Conservative leader said “is a professional on this.
Canada has positioned 62 diplomats in India, and India had alleged that the total should be condensed by 41, the Financial Times report said.
Arindam Bagchi, representative for India’s Ministry of External Affairs, said late last month that New Delhi had conveyed to the Canadian government that there should be equality in strength and rank similarity in our common diplomatic presence. Their figures here are very much higher than ours in Canada,” said Bagchi.
The Indian and Canadian foreign departments did not instantly respond to appeals for comment.
The High Commission of Canada in New Delhi informed CBC News on Tuesday it had no statement.
Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar alleged earlier there was a “climate of viciousness” and an “atmosphere of coercion” towards Indian diplomats in Canada, where the existence of Sikh separatist groups has irritated New Delhi.
Days after Trudeau’s surprise statement, India cautioned its citizens when travelling to Canada, mentioning apprehensions about “politically-condoned” hate crimes and fierceness.
Soon after, it stopped issuing visitor visas in Canada.
At the similar time, the High Commission of Canada alleged it was momentarily altering its staff attendance at its commission and embassy sites in India, due to “some diplomats having acknowledged intimidations on numerous social media platforms.”
