India warns Canada to repatriate 41 envoys by Oct 10, or else...: Report

India has reportedly asked Canada to withdraw 41 of its diplomats from the country by October 10 in the latest sign of escalation that erupted after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged, without any evidence, that so-called “Indian government agents” were responsible for the murder of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

Financial Times newspaper’s report, citing people familiar with India’s demand, on Monday (Oct 3) stated that New Delhi has threatened Canada that their envoys' diplomatic immunity would be stripped off if they didn’t leave the country.

Canada has 62 diplomats in India and New Delhi wanted the presence to be significantly scaled down, the newspaper said.

The development comes days after India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) sought a “parity” of diplomats in strength and rank equivalence in mutual diplomatic presence.

"Their numbers here are very much higher than India's diplomatic presence...We have seen Canadian diplomatic interference in our internal affairs. This is being taken into account and parity is being sought in rank and diplomatic strength. We think Canadian numbers will go down. Discussions are going on," MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said on September 21.

India had already banned visas for Canadians the day after Trudeau made his bombshell claim on September 18.

The diplomatic row between the countries has been nosediving with each passing day, starting with the expulsion of India and Canada’s top diplomats.

Though initially observing stoic silence, Canada’s allies like the US, UK and Australia have asked India to coordinate with the investigation of Nijjar’s killing in Surrey.

India categorically rejected Canada's allegations, calling them "absurd" and "motivated", and blamed Canada for going soft on Nijjar, who was the chief of the banned Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF).

Also read | Trump civil fraud case: Ex-US prez exits court, complains about having no jury

On September 26, India’s foreign minister S Jaishankar weighed in on the issue by taking a veiled dig at Canada, asking the UN member states not to allow "political convenience" to determine responses to terrorism, extremism and violence.

Also read | Sunak unable to furnish WhatsApp messages to Covid inquiry, citing lack of backups: Reports

He made the comments while addressing the 78th session of the UN General Assembly in New York.