What is diplomatic immunity, which India refused to waive for expelled agents? – National [Video]

When Canadian officials announced this week it had expelled six Indian diplomats for alleged links to criminal activity targeting Canadian citizens, they said the action was taken after India refused to waive diplomatic immunity.

That immunity shields foreign diplomats from criminal proceedings, including questioning by police in an investigation.

Global News reported that agents working out of India’s high commission in Ottawa and consulates in Vancouver and Toronto were allegedly behind dozens of violent crimes across Canada that targeted opponents of the Narendra Modi government.

Canada expelled the six Indian diplomats, including the high commissioner, after the RCMP and government officials made their investigative findings public Monday.

India swiftly retaliated by ordering six Canadian diplomats to leave the country by Saturday.

The revelations come as Canadian law enforcement continues to probe the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey, B.C., where the killers were allegedly tied to Indian government agents.

Although diplomatic immunity is meant to …