In a phone discussion with his Canadian counterpart, Rishi Sunak, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak expressed hope for a de-escalation of the India-Canada diplomatic spat. According to a Downing Street statement, the UK Prime Minister spoke with Canada's Prime Minister about the situation involving Canadian ambassadors in India. Both leaders decided to keep in touch after Rishi Sunak restated the UK's position on respect for the rule of law in the aftermath of Canada's claim of Indian complicity in the death of Khalistan wanted terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
"Prime Minister Trudeau was updated on the situation relating to Canadian diplomats in India," according to a Downing Street statement, adding that "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 expressed hope for a de-escalation of the issue and vowed to keep in touch with Prime Minister Trudeau about the future steps."
Last month, Justin Trudeau told the Canadian parliament that the country's security agencies were "actively pursuing credible allegations" linking Indian government operatives to the June murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia. India has categorically denied the charge, calling it "absurd and motivated."
The issue reverberated in the United Kingdom, as Indian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom Vikram Doraiswami was barred from visiting the Glasgow Gurdwara in Scotland.
"I am concerned that the Indian High Commissioner, Vikram Doraiswami, was prevented from meeting with the Gurudwara Committee at the Glasgow Gurudwara." The safety and security of foreign diplomats is critical, and our houses of worship in the UK must be available to everybody," Anne-Marie Trevelyan, the UK foreign office's Indo-Pacific minister, wrote on X (previously known as Twitter).
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