The diplomatic ties between Delhi and Ottawa significantly deteriorated a week ago, following Canada's suggestion of potential Indian government complicity in the death of Hardeep Singh Nijjar near Vancouver in June.
The aftermath resulted in reciprocal diplomatic expulsions and a strong denial from India, asserting that any insinuation of its involvement in Nijjar's assassination was unfounded.
The confirmation of the Financial Times claim regarding Canada being instructed to repatriate 41 out of its 62 diplomats by October 10 was not provided by Arindam Bagchi, the chief spokesman of the Indian foreign ministry.
However, the individual mentioned that India had the expectation that there will be a decrease in Canada's representation subsequent to requesting Ottawa to align the number of diplomats with the quantity of Indian diplomats stationed in Canada.
During a routine press briefing, the speaker expressed that because to the far larger number of Canadian diplomats present and their ongoing involvement in our domestic matters, we have endeavored to establish a comparable level of diplomatic representation.
India has issued advisories to its citizens, cautioning against travel to certain regions of Canada, and has temporarily suspended the processing of visa applications for travel to Canada.
The Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, has characterized the situation as "highly challenging" and stated on Tuesday that the government of Ottawa is actively pursuing measures to prevent further escalation of the crisis.
The extramarital relationship has added complexity to the diplomatic initiatives of the United States towards India, a process that has witnessed a gradual enhancement of bilateral relations between the two nations in recent years.
The United States considers New Delhi to be a significant strategic partner in its efforts to counterbalance Chinese power inside the Asia-Pacific region. Both nations are part of the Quad strategic alliance, which also includes Japan and Australia.
According to a report by Politico, Eric Garcetti, the United States' ambassador to India, expressed concerns about the potential deterioration of bilateral relations between the two countries, suggesting that a temporary worsening of ties may necessitate a decrease in communication with Indian officials.
The reports were rejected by a spokesperson from the United States embassy in New Delhi.
The spokesperson stated that Ambassador Garcetti is diligently engaged in enhancing the collaboration between the citizens and administrations of the United States and India.