Page 6 - The Indian EYE 102723

NATION OCTOBER 27, 2023 | The Indian Eye 6

FROM BAD TO WORSE

Canadians skip P20 meeting as

41 diplomats recalled from New Delhi

India recently suspended visa operations to Canada and called for a reduction in Canadian

diplomats in India, calling for ‘parity’, owing to the ongoing diplomatic row

OUR BUREAU
Ottawa/New Delhi

n an largely symbolic gesture,
Canada Senate Speaker Ray-
Imonde Gagne skipped the 9th
G20 Parliamentary Speakers’ Sum-
mit (P20) and Parliamentary Forum
that got underway in New Delhi last
week. Canada is a prominent mem-
ber of the G20 and its Prime Minis-
ter, Justin Trudeau, had attended the
G20 Leaders summit in Delhi in Sep-
tember.
Canadian Senate Speaker Ray-
monde Gagne’s decision to skip the
G20 Parliamentary Speakers’ Summit
(P20) in New Delhi from 12-14 Octo-
ber was the latest development in the Paramilitary personnel deployed at Canada High Commission as the security increases after India expelled a senior Canadian diplomat to India
ongoing diplomatic spat between In-
dia and Canada. Neither the Canadi- in a reciprocal move to Canada expelling a senior Indian diplomat, in New Delhi on Tuesday (ANI)
an Senate Speaker nor any dignitary
from the G20 member country was said, as she confirmed the departure Surrey’s Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara. Commission in Delhi. And you can
named in the programme list of the of Canadian diplomats. However, India has outrightly still also do that in person by phone
inaugural day of the P20 Summit on This comes after India suspend- rejected the claims, calling it ‘absurd’ and by email,” she added.
Friday. ed visa operations to Canada and and ‘motivated’. Notably, Canada has Stating that India’s focus is
Ministry of External Affairs called for a reduction in Canadian yet to provide any public evidence to achieving ‘parity’ in terms of diplo-
(MEA), however, has clarified earlier diplomats in India, calling for ‘parity’, support the claim about the killing of matic presence, the Ministry of Ex-
that all G20 members were extended owing to the ongoing diplomatic row Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was a des- ternal Affairs had called for a reduc-
invitations. Prime Minister Narendra between the two nations. ignated terrorist in India, was gunned tion in Canadian diplomats in India
Modi inaugurated the P20 Summit Canadian Foreign Minister said, down outside a Gurdwara, in a park- citing their continued “interference”
on October 12 with an address to dig- “...we have facilitated their safe de- ing area in Canada’s Surrey, British in New Delhi’s “internal matters”.
nitaries of participant countries. parture from India. This means that Columbia on June 18. Addressing the press briefing
On Thursday, in another sign our diplomats and their families have Meanwhile, along with Immigra- earlier, MEA spokesperson Arindam
that India-Canada relations are going now left diplomatic immunities. Keep tion, Refugees and Citizenship Minis- Bagchi said, “Given the much higher
down the hill, Canada Foreign Min- diplomats safe, no matter where ter Marc Miller, the foreign minister presence of diplomats or diplomatic
ister Melanie Joly announced that they’re from and where they’re sent made the announcement about the presence here...and their continued
Canada has removed 41 diplomats to. Immunities allow diplomats to do development “on the situation with interference in our internal matters,
and their 42 family members, from their work without fear of reprisal or India” and how it will affect the level we have sought parity in our respec-
India over the ongoing row between arrests from the country they’re in.” of service delivery Canada can offer tive diplomatic presence. Discussions
the two countries. “As of now, I can The crisis began when Canadian following the withdrawal of diplo- are ongoing on the modalities of
confirm that India has formally con- Prime Minister Justin Trudeau re- mats. achieving this”.
veyed its plan to unethically remove cently alleged that the Indian govern- She said, “There’s no question On being asked if the reduction
diplomatic immunities for all but 21 ment was behind the fatal shooting that India’s decision will impact the in the number of Canadian diplomats
Canadian diplomats and dependents of Nijjar. Trudeau, during a debate in levels of services to citizens in both could see a
in Delhi by tomorrow, October 20. the Canadian Parliament, claimed his countries. Unfortunately, we have to He further added that India’s
This means 41 Canadian diplomats country’s national security officials put a pause on all in-person services primary focus is on two things; hav-
and their 42 dependents were in had reasons to believe that “agents of in our consulates in Chandigarh, ing an atmosphere in Canada, where
danger of having immunity stripped the Indian government” carried out Mumbai and in Bangalore.” Indian diplomats can work properly
on an arbitrary date. And this would the killing of the Canadian citizen, “Canadians who need consul- and in achieving parity in terms of
put their personal safety at risk,” Joly who also served as the president of ar assistance can still visit our High diplomatic strength.

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