SHIWANI NAILWAL/VOIWORLD
Is Canada trying to douse the flames of the India-Canada diplomatic spat involving the killing of a Sikh separatist leader? Following a report that India has requested Canada to recall 41 ambassadors, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said that Ottawa was not looking to escalate the dispute. Canada PM Trudeau has said it is not looking to escalate situation with India. It is over the killing of Canada’s Nijjar which Canada says was allegedly targeted by Indian agencies.
The Financial Times in the UK quoted individuals familiar with the Indian demand as saying that India has threatened to revoke the diplomatic immunity of any diplomats who refuse to leave after October 10. In India, Canada has 62 diplomats. According to The Financial Times, India allegedly threatened to strip the diplomatic immunity of the 41 diplomats who were ordered to leave if they persisted after October 10.
When asked if the report was true, neither Joly nor Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had a response. However, Trudeau told reporters, “We’re taking this extremely seriously, but we’re going to continue to engage responsibly and constructively within with the government of India,”
Meanwhile, Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly said on Tuesday that Canada wants to hold private discussions with India to address the diplomatic row. “We take the safety of Canadian diplomats very seriously,” Joly told reporters. He also added, “We are in touch with the Indian government. Because we believe that private conversations are preferable for diplomatic exchanges, we will continue to engage in them.’’
Remember, Trudeau sparked the diplomatic face-off by alleging the Indian government’s role in the killing of Sikh separatist leader and Canadian citizen, Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Ties between the two countries have become seriously strained over Canadian suspicion. India having labeled Nijjar a “terrorist”, has dismissed the allegation as absurd.
On September 22, India stopped issuing new visas to Canadians and requested that Ottawa scale back its diplomatic representation there. Calls and emails to the Indian High Commission in Ottawa requesting comment received no response.
The presence of Sikh separatist organisations in Canada has irked New Delhi, and Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar had claimed that there was a “climate of violence” and a “atmosphere of intimidation” against Indian officials there.
