New Delhi: Former Indian diplomats have expressed strong disapproval of alleged Canadian surveillance on Indian consular officials, calling it "atrocious" and a clear violation of international law, particularly the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.

JK Tripathi, a former Indian diplomat, stated, "No country has the power to do it...but the Canadian government has done it and this is the rarest of rare cases of violation of international law according to the Vienna Convention." Tripathi further highlighted that Canada has gone as far as to accuse Union Home Minister Amit Shah of involvement in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, which he described as a grave provocation.

The Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, established in 1961, sets out the standards and protections required for diplomats worldwide. Under Article 29 of the Convention, diplomatic immunity protects diplomats from arrest, detention, and intimidation, enabling them to perform their duties without interference. The Convention also mandates that the host country take all necessary measures to safeguard diplomats’ security, liberty, and dignity.

Calls for Strong Response from India

Virendra Gupta, another former diplomat, voiced that India’s response should be decisive, saying, "Merely criticising Canada is not enough...Canada has crossed all the limits of decency and normal diplomatic behaviour."

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has reacted sharply to Canada’s actions. On Saturday, MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal revealed that Canadian authorities recently informed some Indian consular officials about the surveillance, which included audio and video monitoring. Jaiswal criticised Canada for trying to justify the surveillance on technical grounds, deeming it an attempt at harassment and intimidation of Indian personnel.

'Absurd and Baseless' Allegations

Adding to the diplomatic rift, the MEA has condemned recent accusations by Canada implicating Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Nijjar's killing. India labelled these allegations as "absurd and baseless" and registered a formal protest with Canada, issuing a diplomatic note to a Canadian High Commission representative on Friday.

Relations between India and Canada soured significantly last year after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged "credible allegations" of Indian involvement in Nijjar's death in Canada. India has since categorically denied the accusations, calling them "absurd" and "motivated," and has accused Canada of sheltering anti-India elements.

With ANI inputs