Had concerns over interference in our affairs by Canadian personnel: Jaishankar

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Sunday said that the government had invoked parity with Canada in diplomatic presence as they had “concerns about continuous interference in our affairs by Canadian personnel”.

“Parity is very much provided for by the Vienna Convention, which is the relevant international rule on this. But in our case, we invoked parity because we had concerns about continuous interference in our affairs by Canadian personnel,” he said.

On Canadian diplomatic interference in Indian affairs, Jaishankar said much of the information on the matter has not yet been made public.

“My sense is over a period of time more stuff will come out and people will understand why we had the kind of discomfort with many of them which we did,” he added.

Talking more about the strain in ties between India and Canada, Jaishankar said he hopes that the situation would improve and that Indian diplomats would able to do their basic duty with confidence.

“Ensuring safety and security of diplomats is the most fundamental aspect of the Vienna Convention. And right now that is what has in many ways been challenged in Canada that our people are not safe, our diplomats are not safe,” he said.

He also said that the issuing of visas would be resumed once there is progress in the diplomatic ties between India and Canada.

Earlier on Friday, India slammed Canada’s remarks after Ottawa pulled out 41 diplomats.

“New Delhi rejects any attempt to portray the implementation of parity as a violation of international norms,” the External Affairs Ministry said in a statement.

“The state of our bilateral relations, the much higher number of Canadian diplomats in India, and their continued interference in our internal affairs warrant a parity in mutual diplomatic presence in New Delhi and Ottawa,” the Ministry of External Affairs said.

In September this year, India asked Canada to reduce its diplomatic presence after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said there was “credible evidence” of a potential link between Indian agents and the murder in June of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey.