Canada recalls 41 diplomats

Toronto/ New Delhi, Oct 20: Canada has withdrawn 41 diplomats from India after it threatened to strip them of their diplomatic immunity by Friday, Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly has said, amid a diplomatic row over the killing of a Sikh separatist.
Canada has also announced that it will be “pausing” all in-person services at its consulates in Chandigarh, Mumbai and Bengaluru and was directing all Canadians in India to the High Commission in New Delhi.
In New Delhi, the Ministry of External Affairs on Friday rejected Canada’s attempt to “portray” the withdrawal of 41 Canadian diplomats from the country as a violation of international norms. India asserted that ensuring two-way diplomatic parity is fully consistent with the provisions of Vienna Convention on diplomatic relations.
“We reject any attempt to portray the implementation of parity as a violation of international norms,” the MEA said. qDetails on P-9