Canada High Commission calls on Indian govt to ensure safety, security of diplomats, staff

Amid growing tensions, the Canadian High Commission in New Delhi on Thursday called on the Indian government to ensure safety and security of diplomats and staff after they received threats on social media.

The Canada High Commission in Delhi said, “Our High Commission and all consulates in India are open and operational and continue to serve clients. Global Affairs Canada continuously monitors the safety and security of our missions and personnel as we maintain a strict security protocol to respond to any events.”

It said: “In light of the current environment where tensions have heightened, we are taking action to ensure the safety of our diplomats. With some diplomats having received threats on various social media platforms, Global Affairs Canada is assessing its staff complement in India. As a result, and out of an abundance of caution, we have decided to temporarily adjust staff presence in India. All of our locations are staffed by diplomats and locally-engaged staff to ensure business and operational continuity.”

It said that Global Affairs Canada will continue to take all appropriate measures to protect the health and safety of all our personnel, including locally-engaged staff, and to protect our operations in India.

“Decisions are made based on a number of factors including the professional profile of an employee or personal circumstances,” it said.

“In the context of respect for obligations under the Vienna conventions, we expect India to provide for the security of our accredited diplomats and consular officers in India, just as we are for theirs here,” the statement added.

The diplomatic tension between the two nations nosedived on Tuesday over the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. New Delhi on Tuesday expelled a senior Canadian diplomat based here in a tit for tat move giving similar reply to Canada.

The High Commissioner of Canada to India (Cameron Mackay) received summons on Tuesday during which the Government of India conveyed its decision to expel a senior Canadian diplomat currently stationed in the country. The concerned diplomat has been officially instructed to depart from India within the next five days, a statement issued by the MEA said.

“The decision reflects the Government of India’s growing concern at the interference of Canadian diplomats in our internal matters and their involvement in anti-India activities,” the statement said.

The decision came after Canada had earlier expelled a high ranking Indian diplomat.

These developments have occurred after Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Monday in an emergency statement in Parliament accused the Government of India of involvement in the fatal shooting of Nijjar.

India has rejected claims by the Canadian government that it had an involvement in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

India has dubbed the charges as “absurd and motivated”.