India Issues Ultimatum to Canada to Withdraw 41 Diplomats by October 10

India has issued an ultimatum to Canada, demanding the removal of 41 diplomats by October 10, warning that failure to do so will result in the loss of diplomatic immunity for these officials. This move comes amid escalating diplomatic tensions between the two nations, with India insisting that Canada needs to significantly reduce its diplomatic presence to achieve parity with Indian diplomats stationed in Ottawa.

Currently, there are over 60 Canadian diplomats in India, while India has just over 20 diplomats in Canada. The strained relations between the two countries were exacerbated by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s recent statement in Parliament, where he accused “Indian government agents” of being involved in the assassination of a designated Indian terrorist. This accusation has further strained diplomatic ties and pushed them to an all-time low.

Following Trudeau’s allegations, both India and Canada expelled one diplomat each from the other’s embassies, further escalating tensions. India has vehemently denied Canada’s claims, labelling them as politically motivated and lacking credible evidence.

The call for a reduction in Canadian diplomatic staff became public in September when India’s Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson, Arindam Bagchi, stated, “Yes, we’ve informed the government of Canada that there should be parity in the strength of our mutual diplomatic presence. Their number is much higher than ours in Canada… I assume there will be a reduction from the Canadian side.”