NEW DELHI: Kicking and screaming after trying to buy time, Canada finally withdrew 41 ‘excess’ diplomats from India following the country’s insistence on parity in diplomatic representation.
India’s push for parity came after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau claimed India was behind the killing of Khalistan leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia, Canada on June 18. India had designated Nijjar as a terrorist in 2020.
Announcing the withdrawal of the 41 diplomats, Canadian foreign minister Melanie Joly said, India’s demand for parity violates the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. “This move was unreasonable and unprecedented and clearly violated the Vienna Convention. Given the implications of India’s actions on the safety of our diplomats, we have facilitated their safe departure from India,” she said, adding Canada would not take any retaliatory steps.
Joining issue with her, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said, “Our actions in implementing parity are fully consistent with Article 11.1 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.’’ He pointed out that Article 11.1 of the Vienna Convention says,
“In the absence of specific agreement as to the size of the mission, the receiving State may require that the size of a mission be kept within limits considered by it to be reasonable and normal, having regard to circumstances and conditions in the receiving State and to the needs of the particular mission.’’ “We reject any attempt to portray the implementation of parity as a violation of international norms,” Bagchi added.
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