Canada has withdrawn 41 diplomats from India following a disagreement over the killing of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, according to Foreign Minister Melanie Joly.
India-Canada Diplomatic Row
Melanie Joly on Thursday stated that Canada will not respond with similar measures. She said that India had threatened to unilaterally withdraw the diplomats’ official status by Friday unless they left the country.
She termed this move as ‘unreasonable, unprecedented and a clear violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations’.
Melanie Joly asserted that if the norm of diplomatic immunity is breached, no diplomat globally would be safe, hence Canada would not reciprocate. The 41 diplomats were also accompanied by 42 dependents.
