US, UK Back Canada As It Withdraws 41 Diplomats From India

FPJ Desk / London, Washington: The UK and the US have expressed concern over the departure of 41 Canadian diplomats from India, with Britain saying it disagrees with Indian government decisions which it believes is behind their exit amid an ongoing standoff between New Delhi and Ottawa over the killing of a Sikh separatist.

The move impacted the functioning of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, according to a statement from the UK's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). The US State Department, on its part, stressed that resolving differences requires diplomats on the ground.

Canada withdrew 41 diplomats

Canada withdrew 41 diplomats following an alleged Indian threat to unilaterally revoke their status amid strained bilateral relations over Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s claims of Indian agents being involved in the June murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canadian Sikh.

In New Delhi, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has strongly rejected the allegation and also refuted any violation of the Vienna Convention in relation to the Canadian diplomats’ exit.

“We reject any attempt to portray the implementation of parity as a violation of international norms,” the MEA said.

In London, the FCDO said: “We do not agree with the decisions taken by the Indian government that have resulted in a number of Canadian diplomats departing India. We expect all states to uphold their obligations under the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. The unilateral removal of the privileges and immunities that provide for the safety and security of diplomats is not consistent with the principles or the effective functioning of the Vienna Convention. We continue to encourage India to engage with Canada on its independent investigation into the death of Hardeep Singh Nijjar.”

US backs Canada over the standoff

The statement followed the US government also backing Canada over the stand-off. “We are concerned by the departure of Canadian diplomats from India, in response to the Indian government's demand of Canada to significantly reduce its diplomatic presence in India. Resolving differences requires diplomats on the ground. We have urged the Indian government not to insist upon a reduction in Canada's diplomatic presence and to cooperate in the ongoing Canadian investigation,” US State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller said.

On Friday, Trudeau said in a televised press conference that the Indian government is making it “unbelievably difficult” for life as usual to continue for millions of people in India and in Canada. Earlier, the Canadian authorities also warned of a slowdown in visa processing times due to the reduction of employees at its diplomatic mission in India.