British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak expressed his desire to witness a de-escalation of the diplomatic tensions between India and Canada during a conversation with his Canadian counterpart, Justin Trudeau. This exchange was predominantly centered around the standoff related to the killing of Najjar in June.
According to a statement from Downing Street, the British Indian leader engaged in a conversation with Trudeau on Friday evening, during which he received updates on the situation concerning Canadian diplomats in India. Both leaders concurred to maintain communication, and Sunak reiterated the UK's stance on upholding the rule of law. This was in response to Canada's allegations of Indian involvement in the assassination of a pro-Khalistan-wanted terrorist.
The Downing Street statement read, “Prime Minister Trudeau updated on the situation relating to Canadian diplomats in India.”
“The Prime Minister [Sunak] reaffirmed the UK’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 stated.
This conversation transpired following Trudeau's statement in the Canadian Parliament last month, wherein he asserted that its security forces were actively investigating credible allegations linking Indian government agents to the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia in June. India vehemently refuted this accusation, deeming it "absurd and motivated."
The aftermath of this diplomatic dispute resonated in the UK when pro-Khalistan extremists prevented Indian High Commissioner to the UK Vikram Doraiswami from visiting a Glasgow Gurdwara in Scotland last week.
Anne-Marie Trevelyan, the UK Foreign Office minister for Indo-Pacific, expressed her concern, stating, “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 the utmost importance, and our places of worship in the UK must be open to all.”
In recent developments, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) disclosed that it had been coordinating with its mission in Ottawa and consulates in other Canadian cities regarding safety concerns.
MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi in New Delhi stated, “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.”
