A photograph of late temple president Hardeep Singh Nijjar is seen on a banner outside the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara Sahib in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada, Sept 18, 2023, where the Canadian Sikh leader was gunned down in his vehicle while leaving the temple parking lot in June. (THE CANADIAN PRESS VIA AP)

NEW DELHI – The government of India on Friday rejected Canada's accusation that the implementation of diplomatic parity by asking Canada to withdraw its 41 diplomats from New Delhi was a violation of international norms.

India asked Canada to withdraw diplomats two weeks ago amid a row over the killing of the Canadian Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in June this year. Canada had directly blamed India for the murder.

READ MORE: Canada evacuates 41 diplomats from India

On Thursday, Canada's Foreign Minister Melanie Joly confirmed that many Canadian diplomats and their dependents in India had left the country. India had said the immunity for all but 21 Canadian diplomats and dependents would be unilaterally removed by Oct 20, she added.

We reject any attempt to portray the implementation of parity as a violation of international norms.

Ministry of External Affairs, India

Joly also accused India of escalating bilateral tensions by acting "contrary to international law and in violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations”. 

She however said Canada will not retaliate.

In reaction to Joly's accusation, India's Ministry of External Affairs issued a statement saying: "We have seen the statement by the government of Canada on Oct 19 regarding Canadian diplomatic presence in India.”

“We reject any attempt to portray the implementation of parity as a violation of international norms.”

The state of India’s bilateral relations, the much higher number of Canadian diplomats in India, and their continued interference in India’s internal affairs warrant a parity in mutual diplomatic presence in New Delhi and Ottawa, the Indian foreign ministry said.

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"Our actions in implementing this parity are fully consistent with Article 11.1 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, which states that in the absence of specific agreement as to the side of the mission, the receiving state may require that the size of a mission be kept within limits considered by it to be reasonable and normal, having regard to circumstances and conditions in the receiving state and to the needs of the particular mission,” the statement reads.