Subhechcha Ganguly 
A day before the deadline set by New Delhi, Canada withdrew 41 of its diplomats from India, risking the loss of their diplomatic immunity. India had reduced the number of diplomats stationed there from 62 to 21 in order to achieve parity in the size of the North American country’s diplomatic mission before the action.The move was denounced by Justin Trudeau, the prime minister of Canada, as a breach of the Vienna Convention governing diplomacy and as having an effect on “millions of Canadians who trace their origins to the Indian subcontinent.”
“We have seen the Statement by the Government of Canada on October 19 regarding Canadian diplomatic presence in India,” the ministry of external affairs had stated in its statement. The status of our bilateral relations, the significant increase in the number of Canadian diplomats stationed in India, and their ongoing meddling in our internal affairs call for an equal exchange of diplomats in New Delhi and Ottawa.HT has been informed that some of the expelled diplomats were discovered to be engaged in activities that were not appropriate for their diplomatic status. Some diplomats were in intimate contact with the heads of political groups. It is believed that Canada partnered with specific Indian politicians through its diplomats to obtain political intelligence.Canada has been urged by India to halt pro-Khalistani activities there. Both ending the bilateral relationship and intensifying the whole situation are not in the interests of New Delhi.
