India has threatened to revoke any Canadian diplomat’s diplomatic immunity if they remain in the country beyond October 10. Ties between the two countries have deteriorated significantly as a result of Canadian suspicions that Indian government operatives were involved in the June assassination in Canada of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Sikh separatist leader and Canadian citizen whom India had labelled a “terrorist.”
Canada-India diplomatic tensions flare over allegations
On September 18th, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau sparked a diplomatic dispute by alleging that Indian agents were involved in the killing of Khalistani extremist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Ottawa, Canada. He said that Indian operatives may have been involved in Nijjar’s death.
The Indian government aggressively refused the claims, calling them absurd and politically driven. In connection with the incident in Ottawa, an Indian official was dismissed from the office; in reaction, hence the country expelled a high-ranking Canadian diplomat.
In response to Trudeau’s claims, the country briefly suspended its visa services in Canada. The government has also issued a cautious advisory to its visitors visiting Canada, advising them to exercise extra caution due to the rise in anti-India actions. India dismissed Canada’s outrageous claims as motivated.’ Mr Jaishankar issued a statement aimed at Canada, stating that India is open to look into the situation if given something “specific” and “relevant.”
Trudeau also emphasized India’s importance as a developing economic powerhouse and a key role on the world scene. He underlined Canada’s commitment to strengthening ties with India, referring to the previous year’s Indo-Pacific plan.
Addressing the diplomat’s issue
According to The Financial Times, Canada has 62 diplomats in India, while The Indian Central Government at New Delhi has told them to reduce the headcount to 41.
In a statement; Peter Boehm, chair of the Canadian Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade said that declaring more Canadian Diplomats as Personae Non Gratae, would not be helpful in this situation and would further complicate the efforts to reduce the emotions linked with this disagreement. The Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau also said that he was quite aware of Ottawa’s limited capacity to compensate and also that they are aware of the consequent politics at play.
Previously, India stated that it desired an equal number of diplomats stationed in both India and Canada. In comparison, Canada has several dozen diplomats stationed at its high commission in Delhi.
How the dispute has affected the public
Canadians are also dissatisfied with migration policy. Because of the country’s housing problems, Trudeau’s idea of boosting immigration has not been well received. Canada’s health-care system is also plagued by shortages of family doctors and medical equipment. Canadians are becoming increasingly dissatisfied with the deteriorating quality of medical services. The country has labelled Canada a “haven of safety” for terrorists and extremists, and has urged Ottawa to crack down hard on any anti-Indian organisations operating on its territory. On September 20, Sukhdool Singh Gill, a wanted criminal and terrorist from the Khalistan area, was also shot and killed in Winnipeg. On Thursday, authorities confirmed his death.
Other countries statements on the Indian-Canadian dispute
The US State Department avoided addressing the rivalry in its report on the meeting between US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar. When summarising their conversation, none of the ministers expressly addressed the matter. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau levelled claims against the country, to which an ex-Pentagon officer from the United States reacted, saying “Trudeau made a huge mistake.” When Canada’s Prime Minister made public claims against the country, the White House expressed grave alarm. Former US defence official stated that the Canadian Prime Minister made a tremendous mistake by making those accusations.
The former Pentagon commander also said that if the United States of America were forced to select a country, it would unquestionably choose India over Canada.
Trudeau’s foreign policies are also ineffective on a global scale. NATO partners are unhappy that Canada spends only 1.29% of its GDP on defence. According to the Economist, the country’s relations with China have also worsened, as two Canadians were detained in 2018 for three years on espionage accusations.
