Canada to 'temporarily' adjust staff presence in India amid online 'threats'

Canada on Thursday said it is assessing its staff complement in India and taking action to ensure safety of its diplomats in the country claiming that some of them have received threats on various social media platforms.

The Canadian High Commission said Ottawa expects New Delhi to provide for the security of its diplomats and consular officers in India and that it has decided to 'temporarily' adjust staff presence in the country as a precautionary measure.

The comments from the high commission came amid heightened diplomatic tensions between the two countries following Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's allegations of a 'potential' involvement of Indian agents in the killing of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada in June.

India on Tuesday rejected the allegations as 'absurd' and 'motivated' and expelled a senior Canadian diplomat in a tit-for-tat move to Ottawa's expulsion of an Indian official over the case.

'In light of the current environment where tensions have heightened, we are taking action to ensure the safety of our diplomats. With some diplomats having received threats on various social media platforms, Global Affairs Canada is assessing its staff complement in India,' the high commission said.

Global Affairs Canada handles Canada's diplomatic and consular relations.

'As a result, and out of an abundance of caution, we have decided to temporarily adjust staff presence in India. All of our locations are staffed by diplomats and locally-engaged staff to ensure business and operational continuity,' it said.

In responding to media queries, the high commission said Global Affairs Canada will continue to take all 'appropriate measures to protect the health and safety of all our personnel, including locally-engaged staff, and to protect our operations in India.' 'Decisions are made based on a number of factors including the professional profile of an employee or personal circumstances,' it said.

'In the context of respect for obligations under the Vienna conventions, we expect India to provide for the security of our accredited diplomats and consular officers in India, just as we are for theirs here,' it added.