India on Thursday reiterated that Canada has consistently given space to anti-India extremists and said its diplomatic representatives have borne the brunt of this.

“In so far as Canada is concerned, we have said that they have consistently given space to anti-India extremists and that is actually the heart of the issue. Our diplomatic representatives in Canada have borne the brunt of this,” the spokesperson of Ministry of External Affairs, Arindam Bagchi, said.

Bagchi further said India expects the Government of Canada to live up to its obligations under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.

“We have also seen interference by Canadian diplomats in our internal affairs and that is unacceptable,” Bagchi added.

Earlier in September this year, EAM S Jaishakar had said the Indian diplomats in Canada are unsafe when they go to embassy or the consulate. “They (Indian diplomats) are publicly intimidated. And that has actually compelled me to temporarily suspend even visa operations in Canada,” the minister had said.

Diplomatic ties between India and Canada have been strained since Canada PM Justin Trudeau alleged that there was a “potential link” between agents of the Indian government with the murder of a Khalistani terrorist, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, in June this year.

India has strongly denied the allegations.