Report: India Asks Canada to Withdraw 41 Diplomats

Facts

India has asked Canada to withdraw 41 of its 62 diplomats in India by Oct. 10, the Financial Times reported on Tuesday.¹
Though both countries are yet to make an official announcement, the report claims New Delhi has threatened to revoke the immunity of diplomats who remain after the deadline.²
New Delhi had previously sought 'parity in diplomatic presence,' stating that the number of Canadian diplomats in the country is 'larger than what India has.'³
This comes after India suspended visa services for Canadian citizens on Sept. 21, citing 'security threats' faced by the Indian high commission and consulates in Canada.⁴
India-Canada ties have become strained after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused Indian intelligence agencies of being involved in the murder of Canadian citizen and Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Vancouver.⁵
Meanwhile, the US has hinted at providing Canada with intelligence to ascertain Indian agents' involvement in Nijjar's killing. However, India rejects the claims, calling them 'absurd and motivated.'⁶

Narrative A, as provided by India today. Ottawa has long indulged its radical Sikh community, which is accused of keeping the members of Sikh separatism alive in India — though the idea of Khalistan, the imagined independent Sikh homeland, is a dead horse even in India. Canada should know that showing little concern for a fellow democracy's worries is hardly a sign of good ties.
Narrative B, as provided by New York Times. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, battling multiple crises at home, will face a tough national election in a few months and is using the bite-less Khalistan narrative as an easy prop to shore up his strong-man image. Any involvement in the murder of a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil would be a gross violation of the nation's sovereignty. Ottawa must get to the bottom of the matter.