Canada withdraws 41 diplomats from India as row over separatist killing grows

Canada said on Thursday (Oct 19) it had withdrawn 41 diplomats from India - fallout from a bitter row over the killing of a Sikh separatist on Canadian soil.

Canada said on Thursday (Oct 19) it had withdrawn 41 diplomats from India - fallout from a bitter row over the killing of a Sikh separatist on Canadian soil.

New Delhi planned to revoke diplomatic immunity for all but 21 of Canada's diplomats and their families by Friday, forcing Ottawa to pull out the others, Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly said.

"We have facilitated their safe departure from India," Joly added. "This means that our diplomats and their families have now left."

Relations between India and Canada have plunged since Prime Minister Justin Trudeau last month publicly linked Indian intelligence to the killing of Canadian citizen Hardeep Singh Nijjar, which New Delhi has denied.

Nijjar, who advocated for a separate Sikh state carved out of India, was wanted by Indian authorities for alleged terrorism and conspiracy to commit murder.

"Revoking the diplomatic immunity of 41 diplomats is not only unprecedented, but also contrary to international law," Joly said Wednesday, but said Canada did not plan to retaliate in kind, so as to not "aggravate the situation".

"Canada will continue to defend international law, which applies to all nations and will continue to engage with India," she said.