Not looking to escalate situation, says Trudeau after India orders Canada to reduce diplomatic presence
File image of Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa.
Canadian PM Justin Trudeau has stressed that his nation was "not looking to escalate the situation with India,” after it was revealed that the Narendra Modi governmenthas ordered Ottawa to reduce its diplomatic presence in New Delhi by October 10 failing which New Delhi will strip Canadian diplomats of their diplomatic immunity.
“Will continue to engage responsibly and constructively with New Delhi. We want to be on the ground in India to help the Canadian families there,” said Trudeau, as reported by Reuters.
Earlier, as widely reported by media, India threatened to strip Canadian diplomats of their immunity if they stayed in India after October 10.Canada has 62 diplomats in India and New Delhi wanted the presence to be significantly scaled down, the Financial Times revealed.
India-Canada row
The escalation comes as the ties between India and Canada remain frosty over the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in June in Canada's Surrey. Trudeau had blamed "the agents of the Indian government" for the alleged assassination on Canadian soil; however, he failed to provide any evidence to support his outlandish claims.
Watch:India gives ultimatum to Canada, demands reduction in staff : Reports
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Since then both countries have expelled a senior diplomat each and India has also stopped visa services for Canadians. Trudeau had frosty encounters with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the G20 meeting in New Delhi earlier this month. A few days later, Canada cancelled a trade mission to India planned for the fall.
MEA seeking diplomaticparity
India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) is seekinga “parity” of diplomats in strength and rank equivalence in mutual diplomatic presence.
"Their numbers here are very much higher than India's diplomatic presence...We have seen Canadian diplomatic interference in our internal affairs. This is being taken into account and parity is being sought in rank and diplomatic strength. We think Canadian numbers will go down. Discussions are going on," MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said on September 21.
India had already banned visas for Canadians the day after Trudeau made his bombshell claim on September 18.
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