India’s actions seeking diplomatic parity ‘consistent with Vienna Convention’: MEA refutes Canada’s charges

On Thursday, Canadian Foreign Minister Melaine Joly said they have withdrawn 41 diplomats and their family members from India, a month after New Delhi asked Ottawa to reduce its diplomatic staff in the country.

“I can confirm that India has formally conveyed its plan to unilaterally remove diplomatic immunities for all but 21 Canadian diplomats and dependents in Delhi by tomorrow, October 20,” Joly said while addressing a news conference on Thursday.

Joly further said India’s move to only allow 21 diplomats and their families to maintain their diplomatic status has put the others at risk of having their protections stripped arbitrarily, leaving them vulnerable to reprisal or arrest. “This means 41 Canadian diplomats and their 42 dependents were in danger of having immunity stripped on an arbitrary date, and this would put their personal safety at risk,” she added.

Last month, India had called on Canada to reduce its diplomatic staff in the country, arguing that there should be parity in strength and rank equivalence in the mutual diplomatic presence.

Reiterating its stance on the issue, MEA today said: “The state of our bilateral relations, the much higher number of Canadian diplomats in India, and their continued interference in our internal affairs warrant a parity in mutual diplomatic presence in New Delhi and Ottawa.”

Further defending its move, India said: “Our actions in implementing this parity are fully consistent with Article 11.1 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, which states the following:

“In the absence of specific agreement as to the size of the mission, the receiving State may require that the size of a mission be kept within limits considered by it to be reasonable and normal, having regard to circumstances and conditions in the receiving State and to the needs of the particular mission.”

Tensions between India and Canada flared last month after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged “potential” involvement of Indian agents in the killing of Khalistani extremist Hardeep Singh Nijjar on June 18 in British Columbia. India, on the other hand, rejected the allegations as “absurd” and “motivated”

India had designated Nijjar as a terrorist in 2020.