New Delhi: India has told Canada to reduce their strength of diplomats in the country as they far outnumber Indian envoys in Canada, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MEA) said Thursday.
Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said they had informed the Canadian government that “there should be parity in our mutual diplomatic presence”.
“Their number is very much higher than ours in Canada. The details of this are being worked out, but I assume there will be a reduction from the Canadian side,” Bagchi added.
The spokesperson said that “Canadian diplomatic interference in our internal affairs is a factor” for this decision.
India’s comments came hours after the Canadian High Commission in India said that it had decided to temporarily “adjust” staff presence in the country after some diplomats received threats on social media platforms.
#WATCH | MEA Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi says, "Yes, we've informed the Govt of Canada that there should be parity in strength in our mutual diplomatic presence. Their number is very much higher than ours in Canada… I assume there will be a reduction from the Canadian side." pic.twitter.com/4LIBeyhzBz
— ANI (@ANI) September 21, 2023
The statement from the high commission came soon after India suspended visa services for Canadian citizens, citing “operational reasons”.
India and Canada are locked in a diplomatic conflict following Justin Trudeau’s statement in Parliament Monday that his security forces were “actively pursuing credible allegations” linking Indian government agents to the murder of Sikh separatist leader in Vancouver in June. As a consequence, Canada expelled an Indian intelligence officer from the country.
India retaliated in a sharply-worded statement within hours, calling Trudeau’s charge “absurd and motivated”, and threw out a senior Canadian diplomat from New Delhi.
The foreign ministry said the decision reflected the government’s “growing concern at the interference of Canadian diplomats in our internal matters and their involvement in anti-India activities”.
In light of these developments, it is crucial to consider how Canada has been perceived as a safe haven for various elements that threaten India’s security and stability.
On Trudeau’s allegations, Bagchi said Thursday, “We are willing to look at any specific information… But so far we have not. From our side, very specific evidence on criminal activities by individuals based on Canadian soil have been shared with Canadian authorities on a regular basis, but it has not been acted upon.”
He said there was a “degree of prejudice” to the charge, adding that the allegations by the government of Canada were “primarily politically driven”. Bagchi said India was in touch with its partners on this issue.
On the suspension of visa services in the Indian High Commission in Canada, the spokesperson said: “You are aware of the security threats being faced by our High Commission and Consulates in Canada. This has disrupted their normal functioning. Accordingly, our High Commission and Consulates are temporarily unable to process visa applications. We will be reviewing the situation on a regular basis.”
Bagchi added that if any country’s international reputation had taken a hit from this falling out, then it was Canada. “It is Canada and its growing reputation as a place, as a safe haven for terrorists, for extremists, and for organised crime… And I think that’s the country that needs to worry about its international reputation,” he said.
#WATCH | MEA Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi says, "If you're talking about reputational issues and reputational damage, if there's any country that needs to look at this, I think it is Canada and its growing reputation as a place, as a safe haven for terrorists, for extremists, and… pic.twitter.com/F2LZGTJ6b9
— ANI (@ANI) September 21, 2023
The foreign ministry spokesperson charged Canada with giving safe haven to terrorists wanted in India. “We want the Canadian government to take action against those who have terrorism charges or send them here to face justice… We have sought either extradition or other assistance related to that, for more than 20 individuals… We’ve requested this over the years but the response has not been helpful at all.”
Adding to spiralling tensions between the countries, New Delhi also issued an advisory to Indian citizens and students in Canada to “exercise extreme caution”.
The ministry warned Indian nationals about the “growing anti-national activities and politically-condoned hate crimes and criminal violence in Canada”. Within hours of the advisory, public safety minister Dominic LeBlanc said Canada was a safe country.
Canada has the largest population of Sikhs outside Punjab, with about 770,000 people reporting Sikhism as their religion in the 2021 census. They are a politically influential group, analysts have said.
Also read: Canada must fix cosy approach to terrorism before accusing India. It’s terrible diplomacy