In a fresh diplomatic strike, India has told Ottawa to repatriate its almost 40 diplomats back to Canada and has given a timeline til October 10, 2023, to do so. A news daily quoted a source in the known development saying that New Delhi has told Ottawa to repatriate at least a dozen diplomats back to Canada. Although the exact numbers are yet to be revealed, reports suggest that it may touch 40. Notably, the Ministry of External Affairs is yet to issue a statement on the latest development. Reports further suggest that Canada has 62 diplomats in India and India had said the total should be reduced by 41.
It is pertinent to mention here that MEA Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi during his earlier press briefing had confirmed the reduction in number. Arindam Bagchi had said, "Yes, we have informed the Canadian government that there should be parity in strength and rank equivalence in our diplomatic presence, in mutual diplomatic presence. Their numbers here are very much higher than ours in Canada. The details of this are being worked out, but I assume there will be a reduction from the Canadian side."
The India-Canada relationship has been witnessing an all-time low ever since Justin Trudeau accused New Delhi's 'agents' of carrying out the assassination of a Canadian Citizen on Canadian soil named Hardeep Singh Nijar, most wanted in India. Trudeau accused India in the Canadian Parliament without even presenting any single proof. Not only this, the Indian Government had asked the Canadian Government to share their intel and assured them that they would look into it. However, no concrete proofs were ever presented by Justin Trudeau.
Also Read: India’s Foreign Minister Accuses Canada of Permissive Attitude Towards Extremists
India's MEA S Jaishankar slams Canada
India’s Foreign Minister, Mr. Jaishankar, has accused Canada of maintaining a “permissive attitude towards terrorists, extremists, and people who openly advocate violence.” These remarks were made during a discussion at the Hudson Institute in Washington, D.C. S Jaishankar expressed concerns that certain individuals with extremist views have been allowed to operate within Canada due to the complexities of Canadian politics. This statement raises questions about Canada’s approach to handling individuals associated with extremist ideologies and organizations.