In an escalation of the crisis that started when Prime Minister Justin Trudeau suggested that New Delhi might have been involved in the murder of a Canadian Sikh, India has requested that Canada withdraw dozens of diplomats from the nation.

Approximately 40 diplomats must be returned to Ottawa by October 10 according to people familiar with the demand from New Delhi. Someone claimed that India had threatened to revoke the diplomatic immunity of any remaining diplomats after that time.

Both the Indian government and the Canadian foreign ministry declined to comment. In the past, New Delhi has stated that it seeks "parity" in the number and caliber of diplomats that each country posts to the other.

Due to the substantial consular section required for the relatives of the roughly 1.3 million Canadians who claim Indian ancestry, Canada has several dozen more diplomats at its high commission in New Delhi than does India at its embassy in Ottawa.

One source claimed that Canada had 62 diplomats stationed in India and that New Delhi had instructed them to cut that number by 41. A ban on Canadian visas was already announced by New Delhi the day after Trudeaus shocking statement on September 18 in India.

The most recent action poses a serious threat to significantly escalate the crisis that started when Trudeau declared that Ottawa was looking into "credible allegations" that Indian agents may have been responsible for the assassination of Canadian citizen and Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was killed in a Vancouver suburb in June.

It will also make things more difficult for Trudeau, who must balance domestic pressure to act with efforts to win over western allies eager to strengthen ties with New Delhi in order to defend against China.