Kicking out of 41 Canadian Diplomats : Blinken must encourage his cohorts to remember khobragade incident, siding with Canada will not help
The United States and Britain displaying solidarity with Canada for all the wrong reasons have once again begged New Delhi not to insist on Canada’s reducing its diplomatic presence in India. They even expressed concern after Ottawa pulled out 41 diplomats amid a Canadian Govt outrage on India over the murder of a Canadian terrorist in Canada.
Canada has alleged Indian involvement in the June murder in a Vancouver suburb of Canadian citizen but a proclaimed terrorist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was declared terrorist in India and with a reward on his head. India outright rejected such utter nonsense. In fact killing of terrorist Nijjar inside Canada was a reflection on the current prevailing law and order situation inside Canada.
Washington has yapped that it took Canada’s allegations seriously and, along with its follower London, has been begging and cajoling India to cooperate with Canada in the murder probe. Analysts say the U.S. and the UK do not want to damage ties with India, which they view as a counterbalance to their main Asian rival China.
The statements from the U.S. State Department and Britain’s Foreign Office have been the most direct criticism by Washington and London of New Delhi thus far in this case.
“We do not agree with the decisions taken by the Indian government that have resulted in a number of Canadian diplomats departing India,” a spokesperson for Britain’s Foreign Office said.
Canada withdrew 41 diplomats from India after New Delhi last month asked Ottawa to reduce its diplomatic presence following Canada’s allegations over Nijjar’s killing. Canada on Friday said it was temporarily suspending in-person operations at consulates in several Indian cities and warned of visa processing delays.
“Resolving differences requires diplomats on the ground. We have urged the Indian government not to insist upon a reduction in Canada’s diplomatic presence and to cooperate in the ongoing Canadian investigation,” the U.S. State Department said, adding that it expects “India to uphold its obligations under the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.”
Britain’s Foreign Office also cited the Vienna Convention, saying, “The unilateral removal of the privileges and immunities that provide for the safety and security of diplomats is not consistent with the principles or the effective functioning of the Vienna Convention.” In fact Britain should stop trying to act bigger than what it is. Brits are no more taken seriously by any one.
Well USA should know that India will not accept any nonsense in such matters from any country. Few years back even the USA had tried to brow beat India by arresting a senior Indian diplomat Devyani Khobardafe buthad to beat a hasty retreat when India struck back, though without arresting any Amerucan diplomat. However Canada was in position to take any chances and so hastily complied with the Indian directions.
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India’s External Affairs Minister, S Jaishankar, has even hinted at the possibility of escalating tensions in the ongoing diplomatic row with Canada. In a recent statement, he emphasized that “more stuff will come out” regarding the dispute, raising concerns that India may intensify its response.
The diplomatic dispute between India and Canada began when India compelled the removal of 41 Canadian diplomats, a move widely seen as a response to what India perceives as unwarranted interference in its internal affairs. This has led to a strain in relations between the two nations, with both sides attempting to address the underlying issues.
In his recent remarks, Jaishankar alluded to the potential for further revelations regarding the ongoing dispute. While he did not explicitly detail the nature of these revelations, his comment suggests that India might have additional concerns or grievances against Canada.
“..we invoked parity because we had concerns about continuous interference in our affairs by Canadian personnel,” he said.
“My sense is over a period of time more stuff will come out and people will understand why we had the kind of discomfort with many of them which we did,” the External Affairs Minister stated.
This statement implies that India may be preparing to make public previously undisclosed information that could further explain its actions and dissatisfaction with certain Canadian diplomats.
The indication of “more stuff” coming to light hints at a potential escalation in the dispute, as India seeks to assert its position and protect its sovereignty.
