Canadian Embassy In Delhi Asks Local Staffers To Leave, Bars Staff From Speaking To Media

NEW DELHI: Hours after India expelled a Canadian diplomat on Tuesday in a tit for tat move in retaliation to Canada's action of expelling an Indian diplomat, the Canadian Embassy in the national capital asked its local staffers to leave the premises during the noon, sources said. A highly placed source said that the Canadian Embassy in the national capital was shut post 2 p.m. The source said that the locally engaged staff at the Embassy were asked to vacate the premises immediately in view of the current diplomatic tensions.

The source further said that in an email communication all the employees have been asked by the authorities at the Embassy to not speak to any media or post anything on the social media. However, when contacted, the officials refused to comment at the Canadian Embassy.

Amid deteriorating diplomatic relations between India and Canada, New Delhi on Tuesday expelled a senior Canadian diplomat based here, who has been asked to leave within the next five days. 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 external affairs ministry said. "The decision reflects 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 Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

Trudeau had said that the Canadian security agencies have been actively pursuing credible allegations of a potential link between Indian government agents and the murder of Khalistan Tiger Force chief Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia in June.

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

Terming them as "absurd and motivated", the external affairs ministry in a statement said: "We have seen and reject the statement of the Canadian Prime Minister in their Parliament, as also the statement by their Foreign Minister. Allegations of Government of India's involvement in any act of violence in Canada are absurd and motivated."