Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
| Photo Credit: AP

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his Canadian counterpart Justin Trudeau have underscored the importance of de-escalation of the India-Canada diplomatic row and respect for the rule of law in a call, which was dominated by the standoff over the killing of a Sikh separatist leader in Canada in June.

According to a Downing Street statement, the British Indian leader spoke to Mr. Trudeau on Friday evening during which he was updated on the situation relating to Canadian diplomats in India. Both leaders agreed to stay in contact as Mr. Sunak reaffirmed the U.K. position of respect for the rule of law after Canada‘s allegation of Indian involvement in the killing of a pro-Khalistan wanted terrorist.

“Prime Minister Trudeau updated on the situation relating to Canadian diplomats in India,” reads the Downing Street statement.

“The Prime Minister [Sunak] reaffirmed the U.K.’s position that all countries should respect sovereignty and the rule of law, including the principles of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. He hoped to see a de-escalation in the situation and agreed to remain in contact with Prime Minister Trudeau on the next steps,” it said.

The Canadian Prime Minister’s Office from Ottawa echoed the statement, saying that Mr. Trudeau provided an update on the current situation between Canada and India.

“The leaders emphasised respect for the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and the need to ensure the safety and security of their citizens. They underscored the importance of de-escalation in this context. Prime Minister Trudeau and Prime Minister Sunak agreed to remain in close contact and to continue working together to tackle global issues,” the Canadian government statement reads.

The call comes in the wake of Mr. Trudeau’s statement in the Canadian Parliament last month that its security forces were “actively pursuing credible allegations” linking Indian government agents to the murder of Khalistan Tiger Force leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia in June, an allegation strongly rejected by India as “absurd and motivated”.

The telephonic talks between Mr. Sunak and Mr. Trudeau took place in the days after the fallout of that diplomatic row resonated in the U.K. when Indian High Commissioner to the U.K. Vikram Doraiswami was blocked from a planned visit to Glasgow Gurdwara in Scotland last week by pro-Khalistan extremists.

“Concerned to see that the Indian High Commissioner, Vikram Doraiswami, was stopped from meeting with the Gurudwara Committee at the Gurudwara in Glasgow. The safety and security of foreign diplomats is of utmost importance and our places of worship in the U.K. must be open to all,” Anne-Marie Trevelyan, the U.K. Foreign Office minister for Indo-Pacific wrote on X.

In recent developments, the Ministry External Affairs (MEA) said it has been coordinating with its mission in Ottawa and consulates in other Canadian cities over safety concerns.

“We have been taking up concerns of security of our diplomats and premises from people there who are wanted by our security and our judicial systems, and we will continue to do that as that is a continued conversation. The issue is about security, and our diplomats are safe and the community is not targeted,” said MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said in New Delhi.

India has also asserted that Canada must reduce its diplomatic presence in the country to achieve parity in strength and alleged that some of the Canadian diplomats are involved in interfering in New Delhi’s internal matters.

Mr. Bagchi said discussions on the modalities to arrive at mutual diplomatic presence are going on and gave clear indication that India will not review its position on the issue.

Canadian police have apprehended around eight Sikh youths aged between 19 to 26 years in relation to possession of loaded, prohibited or restricted firearms in Brampton city in Ontario province.

According to the Peel Regional Police, on the night of October 2, it received reports of shots fired in the area of Donald Stewart Road and Brisdale Drive in Brampton.

“With the assistance of the Tactical Unit, eight individuals were extracted from the residence and arrested,” a press release from Peel Regional Police said on Wednesday.

The police confirmed that no one suffered injuries.

The incident comes amidst heightened tension between India and Canada over the killing of Khalistani extremist Hardeep Singh Nijjar on June 18 in British Columbia.

A day after the incident, officers of the Criminal Investigation Bureau executed a Criminal Code Search Warrant and a 9mm Beretta firearm was seized.

Those who are charged with possession of a “Loaded Prohibited or Restricted Firearm” include Jagdeep Singh (22), Ekamjot Randhawa (19), Manjinder Singh (26), Harpreet Singh (23), Ripanjot Singh (22), Japandeep Singh (22), Lovepreet Singh (26) – all from Brampton.

Meanwhile, 21-year-old Rajanpreet Singh has been charged with careless storage of a firearm, weapon, prohibited device or ammunition in addition to the possession of loaded, prohibited, or restricted firearm.

All of them were held for a bail hearing and attended the Ontario Court of Justice in Brampton.

Tensions flared between the two nations after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s allegations of the “potential” involvement of Indian agents in the killing of Nijjar.

India has strongly rejected the charges as “absurd” and “motivated”. India has also voiced its concern over the safety of Indian diplomats and India’s diplomatic premises in Canada.

Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks to media outside his office on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada October 3, 2023.
| Photo Credit: REUTERS

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Tuesday said Canada was not looking to “escalate” the situation with India amid the diplomatic row between the two countries over the killing of a Khalistani separatist and asserted that his government will continue to have “constructive relations” with New Delhi.

Speaking to reporters in Ottawa, Mr. Trudeau also said that it’s important for Canada to have diplomats on the ground in India, amid a report by London-based Financial Times that New Delhi wants as many as 41 of 62 remaining Canadian diplomats out of the country, the Toronto Sun newspaper reported.

“Obviously, we’re going through an extremely challenging time with India right now,” Mr. Trudeau was quoted as saying by the Canadian newspaper.

He, however, did not confirm the FT report that India has asked Canada to withdraw 41 of 62 diplomats from the country.

Asked if his government would retaliate by asking India to remove diplomats based in Canada, Mr. Trudeau insisted his government would try to keep working with New Delhi.

“We’re not looking to escalate, as I’ve said, we’re going to be doing the work that matters in continuing to have constructive relations with India through this extremely difficult time,” Mr. Trudeau was quoted as saying by the state-run CBC News.

Tensions flared between India and Canada last month following Mr. Trudeau’s allegations of “potential” involvement of Indian agents in the killing of Khalistani extremist Hardeep Singh Nijjar on June 18 in British Columbia. India angrily rejected the allegations as “absurd” and “motivated”.

Nijjar was shot dead by two masked gunmen. India had designated Nijjar as a terrorist in 2020.

Last month, India asked Canada to downsize its diplomatic staff in the country, arguing that there should be parity in strength and rank equivalence in the mutual diplomatic presence. The size of Canadian diplomatic staff in India is larger than what New Delhi has in Canada.

India also asked Canada to come down hard on terrorists and anti-India elements operating from its soil and suspended visa services for Canadians.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar told journalists in Washington last week that the governments of India and Canada will have to talk to each other and see how they resolve their differences over the issue and underlined that the larger issue of “permissiveness” must be flagged and addressed.