Forty-one Canadian diplomats have recently left India amid a rift over the murder of a Sikh leader on Canadian soil.

India had asked Canada two weeks ago to withdraw dozens of its diplomatic staff and threatened to remove their immunity if they remained.

The BBC says relations have been tense after Canada said India may have been behind the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was shot and killed by two masked gunmen outside the Sikh temple he led in Surrey, British Columbia on June 18th, 2023.

India has denied the allegations, calling them “absurd”.

Earlier today, Canada’s foreign minister, Melanie Joly, confirmed that many Canadian diplomats in India have now left the country.

She added that the withdrawal means Canada will have to limit its services in the country due to a shortage of staff, however services will still be available from the High Commission of Canada in Delhi.