Canada removes 41 diplomats after threat from New Delhi

PM Modi (R) shakes hand with Canada’s PM Trudeau at G20 Leaders’ Summit on September 9. File pic/ PTI

Canada's foreign minister said Thursday that the country has recalled 41 of its dip-lomats from India after the Indian government said it would revoke their diplomatic immunity, escalating a spat over the slaying of a Sikh separatist in Canada.

The moves come after Canada's allegations that India may have been involved in the June killing of Canadian citizen Hardeep Singh Nijjar in suburban Vancouver. India has accused Canada of harbouring separatists and "terrorists", but dismissed the allegation of its in-volvement in the killing as "absurd" and has taken diplomatic steps to express its anger over the accusation.

Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly said Thursday that 41 of Canada's 62 diplomats in India have been removed, along with their dependents. Joly said exceptions have been made for 21 Canadian diplomats who will remain in India.

"Forty-one Canadian diplomats and their 42 dependents were in danger of having their im-munity stripped on an arbitrary date and this would put their personal safety at risk," Joly said. "Our diplomats and their families have now left."

Joly said removing diplomatic immunity is contrary to international law, and said for that reason Canada wouldn't threaten to do the same thing with Indian diplomats.

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