India is seeking diplomatic “parity” with Canada amid reports New Delhi has told Ottawa to significantly reduce its official presence in the country.
Arindam Bagchi, a spokesperson for India’s foreign ministry, made the declaration Thursday to reporters as the diplomatic row over the murder of a Canadian citizen and Sikh separatist continues to deepen.
“Given the much higher diplomatic presence of Canadian diplomats and their continuing interference in our internal affairs, we had and we have sought parity in our respective diplomatic presence,” he said.
“Discussions are ongoing on the modalities of achieving this.”
Ties between New Delhi and Ottawa have soured since last month when Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said there is “credible” evidence that agents of the Indian government may have played a role in the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia this summer.
India has denied the accusations, calling them “absurd.” NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh said last week that after receiving an intelligence briefing, he could “confirm” that “clear evidence” of New Delhi’s alleged involvement exists.
On Tuesday, The Financial Times and The Associated Press reported that India has told Canada it must repatriate 41 of its 62 diplomats by Oct. 10. New Delhi has threatened to revoke their diplomatic immunity if they remain past that date, sources with knowledge of the matter told the outlets.
Bagchi wouldn’t get into specifics on Thursday.
“Obviously, if the parity is achieved, given that Canada has a much larger number of people, there would likely be a reduction in the numbers,” he said.
According to the High Commission of India’s website, New Delhi has 12 diplomats in Canada.
Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly told reporters in Ottawa on Tuesday the government believes in having a “strong diplomatic footprint” in India.
“We are in contact with the government of India. We take Canadian diplomats’ safety very seriously, and we will continue to engage privately because we think that diplomatic conversations are best when they remain private,” she said.
“In moments of tensions — because indeed there are tensions between both our governments more than ever — it’s important that diplomats be on the ground, and that’s why we believe in the importance of having a strong diplomatic footprint in India.”
Trudeau said Tuesday these are “extremely challenging” times.
“Obviously, we’re going through an extremely challenging time with India right now,” he said, not commenting directly on the reports.
“We’re taking this extremely seriously, but we’re going to continue to engage responsibly and constructively with the government of India.”
Nijjar, 45, was a Sikh leader who advocated for the Khalistan movement. India had said Nijjar, who was born in India, had links to terrorism, an allegation Nijjar denied.
India has claimed Canada has become a “safe haven” for terrorists, and has suspended visa services in Canada. Ottawa has not retaliated in kind for that.
India also previously expelled a senior Canadian diplomat after Canada expelled a senior Indian diplomat.
The latest expulsions by India have escalated tensions between the countries. Trudeau had frosty encounters with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the September G20 meeting in New Delhi, and a few days later, Canada cancelled a trade mission to India planned for the fall.
A bloody, decade-long Sikh insurgency shook north India in the 1970s and 1980s, until it was crushed in a government crackdown that left thousands dead, including prominent Sikh leaders.
The Khalistan movement has lost much of its political power but still has supporters in the Indian state of Punjab, as well as in the sizable overseas Sikh diaspora.
While the active insurgency ended years ago, the Indian government has warned repeatedly that Sikh separatists were trying to make a comeback.
The government, which is led by the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has been described by some prominent human rights groups as one that has cracked down on religious minorities.
“The government has adopted laws and policies that discriminate against religious minorities, especially Muslims,” Human Rights Watch said on its website.
“This, coupled with vilification of Muslims and other minorities by some BJP leaders, and the police failure to act against government supporters who commit violence, has emboldened Hindu nationalist groups to target members of minority communities or civil society groups with impunity.”