Exterior Affairs Minister S Jaishankar speaks on the NDTV World Summit 2024 in New Delhi on Monday (October 21, 2024). | Picture credit score: ANI
Overseas Minister S. Jaishankar on Monday (October 21, 2024) criticized Canada for its “double requirements,” as ties between New Delhi and Ottawa got here underneath extreme pressure over the killing of Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar on Canadian soil final yr. .
“Double requirements are a really mushy phrase for this,” Jaishankar mentioned whereas explaining how Canada treats different diplomats and the “go away” its diplomats attempt to use whereas in India.
Final week, New Delhi expelled Canadian chargé d’affaires Stewart Wheeler and 5 different diplomats following contemporary accusations from Ottawa concerning the Indian authorities’s involvement within the Nijjar homicide in British Columbia.
India additionally recalled its excessive commissioner and 5 extra diplomats, who’re again in India. The Canadian authorities had mentioned that the Indian diplomats had been expelled from the nation.
“I believe there are some very particular points. Canada requested us to topic our excessive commissioner to a police investigation and we determined to recall the excessive commissioner and diplomats,” Jaishankar mentioned on the NDTV World Summit.
“It appears they’ve an issue if Indian diplomats even attempt to make an effort to search out out what is going on in Canada on points that instantly concern their well-being and safety.
“However take a look at what is going on in India. “Canadian diplomats don’t have any drawback gathering details about our navy and police, profiling folks and choosing folks for detention in Canada,” he mentioned.
“Apparently, the license they offer themselves is completely totally different from the type of restrictions they impose on diplomats in Canada. After we inform them that there are folks overtly threatening Indian leaders and Indian diplomats, their response is freedom of expression,” Jaishankar added.
Bilateral relations plummeted after Canada linked Indian Excessive Commissioner Sanjay Verma and different diplomats to Nijjar’s homicide.
New Delhi has strongly rejected all allegations made by Ottawa in reference to the case involving the homicide of Nijjar, a delegated terrorist in India.
“If the Indian excessive commissioner is threatened, you’re supposed to just accept it as freedom of expression, but when an Indian journalist says that the Canadian excessive commissioner got here out of the South Block wanting very grumpy, apparently it’s overseas interference,” Jaishankar mentioned. saying.
When requested about sure pro-Khalistani parts overtly issuing threats to Indian airways, diplomats and excessive commissioners, he mentioned: “These threats are cleverly worded. They (the Canadian authorities) name this freedom of speech. However my query to them is: In the event that they acquired these threats, would they take them frivolously? the minister requested.
“If it was your airline that was being threatened, your Parliament, your diplomats… That is precisely the type of drawback we began this dialog with,” he mentioned.
The Overseas Minister mentioned that India is having an issue with a phase of Canadian politics.
“We’re having an issue with a phase of politics in Canada,” he mentioned.
“I believe we wish to keep relationships between folks. I believe we have to slender this down and outline this drawback as it’s,” Jaishankar added.
Printed – October 22, 2024 11:47 am IST