After India asks Canada to withdraw 41 diplomats, the latter has evacuated a majority of its diplomats working in the country. Reportedly, many were evacuated either to Kuala Lumpur or Singapore.
India had given a deadline till October 10 to reduce its diplomatic staff following the row over Khalistani separatist killing Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
The India-Canada tensions began after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged India’s role in killing Nijjar in June. Though India had rejected the allegations as “absurd” and motivated”, Canada had expelled an Indian official over the case. As a tit-for-tat move, India had also expelled a Canadian diplomat.
CTV News, canadian news network, reported that the Indian government has given Ottawa until October 10 to reduce Canadian diplomatic staff to a level on par with the Indian diplomats in Canada.
"A majority of the Canadian diplomats working in India outside of Delhi have been evacuated to either Kuala Lumpur or Singapore," the report said.
Global Affairs Canada, the department that manages the country's diplomatic and consular relations, had previously stated that "with some diplomats having received threats on various social media platforms," it was "assessing its staff complement in India."
"As a result, and out of an abundance of caution, we have decided to temporarily adjust staff presence in India," said the department.
External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said in New Delhi discussions on the modalities to arrive at mutual diplomatic presence are going on and gave a clear indication that India will not review its position on the issue.
He said as Canadian diplomatic presence in India is much higher compared to India's strength in Canada, it is assumed that there would be a reduction.
"Our focus is on ensuring parity in diplomatic strength," he said
It is learnt that the number of Canadian diplomats in India is around 60 and New Delhi wants Ottawa to reduce the strength by at least three dozen.
(With PTI inputs)
