Tuesday
22nd Oct 2024
Dhivehi Edition
Canada’s Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly
Canada’s Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly warns the remaining Indian diplomats in the country, stating that they are "clearly on notice" following the expulsion of six Indian diplomats earlier this week. This comes as relations between India and Canada hit a new low after Ottawa accused Indian officials of involvement in the June 2022 murder of Khalistani separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia.
Joly emphasized that the Canadian government will not tolerate any diplomats violating the Vienna Convention or endangering the safety of Canadians. The Vienna Convention governs international diplomatic conduct. “We won’t tolerate any diplomats that are in contravention of the Vienna Convention,” Joly said, signaling the possibility of further expulsions.
The diplomatic dispute escalated after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau publicly accused India of being involved in Nijjar’s death, claims that India has firmly denied. On October 14, Canada’s Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) named several Indian diplomats as "persons of interest" in their investigation.
India retaliated by expelling six Canadian diplomats from its territory and withdrawing its High Commissioner from Ottawa. The move came after Canada reduced its diplomatic presence in India by over 40 personnel in October, following demands from New Delhi to trim the size of its diplomatic mission.