Canada has moved the majority of its diplomats working in India out of New Delhi to Kuala Lumpur or Singapore after India gave Canada a deadline ending on October 10 to reduce the number of its diplomatic staff, according to a media report today.

The report came from the Canadian "CTV News" network after India earlier this week requested Canada to withdraw dozens of diplomats from its missions amidst the escalating diplomatic row that erupted following Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's statement that Indian agents were linked to the killing of Canadian-Indian separatist Hardeep Nijjar last June.

India rejected these allegations, describing them as "absurd" and "motivated," and expelled a senior Canadian diplomat in a reciprocal move following Ottawa's expulsion of an Indian official over this issue.

The news network cited sources saying that the Indian government granted Ottawa a deadline until October 10 to reduce the number of Canadian diplomatic staff in the country to a level equal to that of Indian diplomats in Canada.

Earlier reports indicated that the number of diplomats who would have to leave was 41, but sources speaking to "CTV News" said the request is limited to achieving parity between the two sides.

The report stated, "The majority of Canadian diplomats working in India have been evacuated out of New Delhi to Kuala Lumpur or Singapore."
Relations between the two countries have deteriorated seriously due to Canadian suspicions that agents of the Indian government are linked to the killing of a Sikh separatist leader and Canadian citizen Hardeep Singh Nijjar last June in Canada, which India described as a "terrorist."

India rejected this claim, calling it ridiculous.

The Financial Times reported that India threatened to revoke the diplomatic immunity of the 41 diplomats who were asked to leave if they remained after October 10. Canada has 62 diplomats in India.