OTTAWA (Canada): Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Friday said the Indian government’s decision to revoke the diplomatic immunity of 41 Canadian diplomats is making normal life difficult for millions of people in both countries, Canada-based television network Global News reported.
“The Indian government is making it unbelievably difficult for life as usual to continue for millions of people in India and in Canada. And they’re doing it by contravening a very basic principle of diplomacy,” Trudeau told reporters at a televised press conference in Brampton, Ontario.
He further said: “It’s something that has me very concerned for the wellbeing and happiness of millions of Canadians who trace their origins to the Indian subcontinent.”
Trudeau’s remarks come a day after Canada said it has withdrawn 41 diplomats following an Indian statement to revoke their status.
Trudeau said the Indian government’s crackdown on Canadian diplomats is something “all countries in the world should be very worried about”, as per Global Times.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Friday said no international norms were violated in India seeking parity in the mutual diplomatic presence in New Delhi and Ottawa.
Canada had accused India of violating the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly on Thursday said Canada has removed 41 diplomats and their 42 dependents from India amid the ongoing row between the two countries.
“We reject any attempt to portray the implementation of parity as a violation of international norms,” the external affairs ministry said.
The MEA statement noted that the state of the ties between India and Canada as well as Ottawa’s continued presence in India’s internal affairs warrant a “parity” in mutual diplomatic presence in New Delhi and Ottawa.
“We have seen the Statement by the Government of Canada on October 19 regarding Canadian diplomatic presence in India,” the ministry statement read.
“The state of our bilateral relations, the much higher number of Canadian diplomats in India, and their continued interference in our internal affairs warrant a parity in mutual diplomatic presence in New Delhi and Ottawa,” it said.
India has engaged with Canada over the past month in order to work out the details and modalities of its implementation, the MEA statement read, adding that India’s actions in implementing the parity are fully consistent with Article 11.1 of the Vienna Convention on diplomatic ties.
“Our actions in implementing this parity are fully consistent with Article 11.1 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, which states the following: In the absence of specific agreement as to the size of the mission, the receiving State may require that the size of a mission be kept within limits considered by it to be reasonable and normal, having regard to circumstances and conditions in the receiving State and to the needs of the particular mission.”
Melanie Joly on Thursday said India has conveyed its plan to remove diplomatic immunities for 41 Canadian diplomats and their families.
“As of now, I can confirm that India has formally conveyed its plan to unethically remove diplomatic immunities for all but 21 Canadian diplomats and dependents in Delhi by tomorrow, October 20. This means 41 Canadian diplomats and their 42 dependents were in danger of having immunity stripped on an arbitrary date. And this would put their personal safety at risk,” Joly said, as she confirmed the departure of Canadian diplomats.
The Canadian Foreign Minister said, “…we have facilitated their safe departure from India. This means that our diplomats and their families have now left diplomatic immunities. Keep diplomats safe, no matter where they’re from and where they’re sent to. Immunities allow diplomats to do their work without fear of reprisal or arrests from the country they’re in.”
Notably, the ties between India and Canada have been strained after Canadian PM Justin Trudeau in September alleged that the Indian government was behind the fatal shooting of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. India has out rightly rejected the claims, calling it ‘absurd’ and ‘motivated’. Notably, Canada has yet to provide any public evidence to support the claim about the killing of Nijjar. (ANI)