New Delhi: Backing Ottawa, the United States and the United Kingdom have expressed concern that India’s “unilateral” move to diplomatic immunity and privileges from 41 diplomats was a violation of the Vienna Convention on diplomatic relations, disagreeing with New Delhi’s contention that it was in line with international law.Canada had announced on October 19 that it was withdrawing 41 diplomats, leaving only 21 on the ground in India. The Canadian foreign minister Mélanie Joly said that India’s threat to remove diplomatic privileges from all but 21 Canadian diplomats was “contrary to international law, including the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations”.India had sought “parity” in diplomatic strength in the two countries after relations went into crisis following Canada’s Prime Minister Justine Trudeau’s accusation that New Delhi was behind the assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canadian national and pro-Khalistan supporter.Both countries had expelled one diplomat each in a tit-for-tat measure. An angry India, which termed the allegations as “absurd”, also stopped all visa services in Canada and asked the north American nation to reduce its diplomatic strength to be in line with India’s numbers.A day before the second deadline of October 20, Canada repatriated the majority of its diplomats from India. “I can confirm that the diplomatic status of the 41 Canadian diplomats who have left India has been revoked as of today, October 20, 2023,” Emily Williams, spokesperson for Canadian foreign minister Joly said on Friday, as quoted by The Globe and Mail.India had responded through a press release that its actions “implementing this parity (in diplomatic strength) are fully consistent with Article 11.1 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations”.Later on the night of October 20, Indian official sources further buttressed this stance, insisting that it was not only in line with VCDR, but also Canada’s domestic legislation.But New Delhi’s defence didn’t cut much ice in Washington and London, both partners of the ‘Five Eyes’ intelligence network with Canada.‘Have urged India’US state department spokesperson Mathew Miller said that Washington was “concerned” at the departure of Canadian diplomats “in response to the Indian government’s demand of Canada to significantly reduce its diplomatic presence in India”.“Resolving differences requires diplomats on the ground. We have urged the Indian government not to insist upon a reduction in Canada’s diplomatic presence and to cooperate in the ongoing Canadian investigation,” he said.Furthermore, Miller stated that the US “expect[s] India to uphold its obligations under the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, including with respect to privileges and immunities enjoyed by accredited members of Canada’s diplomatic mission”.‘Unilateral move’The UK foreign office stated it did “not agree with the decisions taken by the Indian government that have resulted in a number of Canadian diplomats departing India”.The British Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office bluntly said that “the unilateral removal of the privileges and immunities that provide for the safety and security of diplomats is not consistent with the principles or the effective functioning of the Vienna Convention”.The statement noted that all states were expected to “uphold their obligations under the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations”.Moreover, UK reiterated that India should “engage with Canada on its independent investigation into the death of Hardeep Singh Nijjar”.‘Contravene a very fundamental principle’After the foreign minister, the Canadian prime minister accused India of violating a cornerstone of international diplomacy, which he said should be a matter of concern for the whole world“This is them choosing to contravene a very fundamental principle of international law and diplomacy. It is something that all countries in the world should be very worried about,” Trudeau told reporters in Brampton, Canada, on Saturday, October 21.He also stated that India’s demand for parity has hurt Indo-Canadians and Indians wanting to study or work in Canada.“The Indian government is making it unbelievably difficult for life as usual to continue for millions of people in India and in Canada,” he said. He also stated that what New Delhi has done “has me very concerned for the well-being and happiness of millions of Canadians who trace their origins to the Indian subcontinent.”OCI demand upsurgeA report by CBC news stated that there was an upsurge in demand for the Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) card, with Indian-origin Canadians camping around the clock outside the OCI office in Brampton to be able to submit their applications.This is the only service that India has not suspended after all other operations were suspended for Canadian nationals. With an OCI card, a foreign national can visit and stay in India as long as they want.The Canadian decision to stop in-person services at the three consulates will certainly impact thousands of Indians, with officials in Canada estimating that it will lead to a backlog of 17,500 applications.Late on Friday night, Indian officials had claimed India had only sought parity between the two main missions in Ottawa and New Delhi and not in the three consulates. They described that the Canadian move as “unilateral and not related to implementation of parity”.