India has asked Canada to remove dozens of its diplomats, escalating the crisis that began when Justin Trudeau claimed New Delhi was linked to the murder a Canadian Sikh.
According to sources familiar with this demand, New Delhi has told Ottawa that it must return approximately 40 diplomats before October 10. One person claimed that India has threatened to revoke diplomatic immunity for diplomats who stay after this date.
Both the Indian and Canadian governments declined to make any comments. New Delhi had previously stated that it wanted “parity”, in terms of the number and level of diplomats posted by each nation to the other.
Canada is home to several dozen more diplomatic staff at its New Delhi high commission than India in Ottawa. This is due to the large consular section required for the relatives of approximately 1.3mn Canadians with Indian heritage.
A person claimed that Canada has 62 diplomats working in India, and that New Delhi told them that they should reduce this number by 41.
New Delhi had already announced that Canadians would be subject to a Visa Ban the day after Trudeau’s bombshell statement on September 18.
The latest move could intensify the crisis which erupted when Trudeau announced that Ottawa was investigating ‘credible allegations’ that Indian agents were behind the assassination in Vancouver of Hardeep Singh Nijjar – a Sikh Separatist and Canadian Citizen who was killed there in June.
Trudeau will be under pressure to act at home , while also trying secure support from Western allies eager to foster relationships with New Delhi as a buffer against China.
Peter Boehm is the chair of the Canadian Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade. He said that declaring more Canadian diplomats non-gratae would not help the situation, and it would make reducing emotions associated with the disagreement more difficult.
Trudeau’s claim came after Ottawa’s frustration that secret diplomacy between Ottawa and India failed to achieve India’s cooperation with the police investigation into Nijjar Nijjar’s death.
Jody Thomas, the Canadian national security advisor, made two trips to India in order to discuss this issue in advance of the G20 meeting in New Delhi. According to those familiar with the meetings, India did admit its involvement in the murder of the victim but did deny the claims. The Indian government has denied the allegations.
Trudeau also brought up the murder during his meeting with India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, at the G20 summit. The Indian side refused to cooperate. India even asked Canada to stop the investigation in earlier meetings, according to sources familiar with the case.
India’s Foreign Minister S Jaishankar stated in Washington, last week, that the alleged murder was “not consistent” with India’s policy and accused Canada for allowing separatist Sikhs to agitate for an independent India.
Canadian media reported Ottawa intercepted conversations between Indian diplomats, which point to an official role in the shooting of Nijjar last June. India has denied that it had seen any evidence of this kind.
Ottawa has a limited amount of information it can share with India, partly because the government wants to protect its sources and methods for gathering intelligence but also in order to not compromise the murder investigation.
Thomas, along with other officials visiting India, such as Canadian Security Intelligence Service chief David Vigneault were only able to verbally present their evidence to their Indian counterparts.
Trudeau’s standoff with India poses a challenge, as his popularity is declining during a crisis of rising living costs while the Liberal Party prepares for elections that are due by October 2025. Critics accuse Trudeau of pandering and acting in a rash manner to Canada’s large Sikh community.
One person who knows his thinking said that it was “not the best time” to have a crisis. Trudeau was compelled to issue a statement before a planned article appeared in The Globe and Mail and due to the seriousness and gravity of the allegations.
“A Canadian was murdered on Canadian soil.” “This is about sovereignty so the PM had to make the statement,” said one person.
Roland Paris, an expert in foreign policy at the University of Ottawa said that the nature of these allegations left Trudeau little choice.
Paris said that there is a feeling in Canada that bad stuff happens elsewhere. But this murder really hit the public consciousness. “It’s not something Canada, or Canadians will brush aside or ignore.”
Richard Fadden was surprised by Trudeau’s decision. He served as Trudeau’s national security advisor and former CSIS head. “I thought that he was absolutely sure about the evidence.”
While initially some Canadian critics felt disappointed at the response of their international allies in relation to the “credible accusations” they made against India, this tone has changed.
reported a few days ago that Joe Biden brought up Nijjar’s death with Modi during the G20. Last week, Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged India’s cooperation with the Canadian investigation.
David Cohen, the US ambassador in Ottawa, said that Canada also received intelligence about the murder through the Five Eyes network of intelligence sharing, which includes the US as well as the UK, Australia, and New Zealand. This statement will strengthen Trudeau’s argument.
Boehm warned that India viewed Canada as an “easy mark”.
Boehm said, “India is aware that our ability to retaliate against them is limited. They know we are a minority government and they understand the politics involved.” “And of course, India is about to hold an election.”
Vina Nadjibulla is an adjunct professor of the University of British Columbia. She said that the spat put Canada and its allies into a “difficult position” and it was difficult to see how Ottawa or New Delhi would be able to calm their relations for a while.
She said, “It’s hard to see any change while the leadership of both countries remains the same.”