US and UK back Canada, ask India to follow Vienna Convention | India News

NEW DELHI: After effectively taking ownership of the Canadian intelligence that allegedly implicates India in the killing of a Khalistan leader, the Five Eyes countries have thrown their lot with Canada on the issue of parity in diplomatic presence with India that saw the Indian government expelling 41 Canadian diplomats this week.
Shortly after India said its action was consistent with the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, both US and UK, in similarly worded statements, accused India of violating the same and urged it to rethink its decision, while also asking the Indian government to join the Canadian probe into the murder of Khalistani Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
The State Department said it was concerned about the departure of Canadian diplomats from India and urged India to uphold the Vienna Convention as resolving differences required 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. We expect India to uphold its obligations under the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, including with respect to privileges and immunities enjoyed by accredited members of Canada’s diplomatic mission,” it said.
The UK too said resolving differences required communication and diplomats in respective capitals and that it did not agree with India’s decisions that resulted in Canadian diplomats departing India.
“We expect all states to uphold their obligations under the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. 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,” said the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office in a statement.
“We continue to encourage India to engage with Canada on its independent investigation into the death of Hardeep Singh Nijjar,” it added.
In the latest flare-up on the Nijjar issue, Canada had on Thursday confirmed that it had withdrawn 41 diplomats from India after the Indian government threatened to revoke their diplomatic privileges and immunities. After the controversy over Nijjar’s killing that resulted from Canada’s “unsubstantiated’’ allegation about India’s role in it, and citing Canadian diplomats’ alleged involvement in anti-India activities, India had asked Canada to restore parity in diplomatic presence in the missions in Ottawa and New Delhi by cutting its staff strength here.
India has argued that its action is not just in consonance with the Vienna Convention but also Canada’s own domestic legislation that provides for treatment to diplomats of a foreign state that is “comparable to the treatment accorded to the Canadian diplomatic mission and Canadian consular posts in that foreign state’’ and allows it also to withdraw and restore diplomatic privileges.

This is not the first time the five eyes intelligence alliance that comprises the US, UK, Australia and New Zealand apart from Canada has backed Ottawa in the spat with India on the Nijjar issue. The US had earlier said that Canada’s position on the alleged Indian involvement was informed by “shared intelligence among five eyes partners”. Earlier this week, Australia’s intelligence chief said he had no reason to dispute the claims made by Canada about the alleged Indian role.