India responds to Canada's charge on diplomatic withdrawal amid fallout over Nijjar killing

The Ministry of External Affairs on Friday said no international norms were violated in India seeking parity in the mutual diplomatic presence in New Delhi and Ottawa.

Canada had accused India of violating the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations Foreign Minister Melanie Joly on Thursday that Canada has removed 41 diplomats and their 42 dependants from India amid the ongoing row between the two countries.

"We reject any attempt to portray the implementation of parity as a violation of international norms," the external affairs ministry said.

The MEA statement noted that the state of the ties between India and Canada as well as Ottawa's continued presence in India's internal affairs warrant a "parity" in mutual diplomatic presence in New Delhi and Ottawa.

"We have seen the Statement by the Government of Canada on October 19 regarding Canadian diplomatic presence in India," the ministry statement read.

"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," it said.