India-Canada Row: In another attack on Canada, which was termed as a haven for terrorists by the Centre last week, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday said that Canada has adopted a very permissive attitude towards terrorists, and extremist elements who openly advocate violence.
"This has been an issue of great, friction for many years with Canada. But in the last few years, it has come back, very much into play, because of what we consider to be a very permissive Canadian attitude towards terrorists, extremist people who openly advocate violence. And they have been given operating space in Canada because of the compulsions of Canadian politics," Jaishankar said, as quoted by news agency ANI.
Washington, DC: On India- Canada row, EAM Dr S Jaishankar says, "This has been an issue of great, friction for many years with Canada. But in the last few years, it has come back, very much into play, because of what we consider to be a very permissive Canadian attitude towards… https://t.co/gpInEWeNnF pic.twitter.com/E0X7WRFzka
— ANI (@ANI) September 29, 2023
Jaishankar's remark came after he held discussions with top US officials on Friday amid a brewing diplomatic crisis between India and Canada. He also said that he had expressed concerns over the ongoing diplomatic row with Canada to US NSA Jake Sullivan and Secretary of state Antony Blinken.
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While speaking at Hudson University in Washington DC, Jaishankar emphasised that Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau levelled allegations privately and then publically from the House of Commons and added India replied to the allegations in the same manner.
The foreign affairs minister also said that Indian diplomats feel unsafe going to the embassy, or to the consulate in Canada, which has compelled him to temporarily suspend visa operations in Canada.
"Today, I'm actually in a situation where my diplomats are unsafe going to the embassy, or to the consulate in Canada. They are publicly intimidated. And that has actually compelled me to temporarily suspend even visa operations in Canada," he said.
#WATCH | Washington, DC: On India- Canada row, EAM Dr S Jaishankar says, "...For us, it has certainly been a country where, organized crime from India, mixed with trafficking in people, mixed with secessionism, violence, terrorism. It's a very toxic combination of issues and… pic.twitter.com/tLGgQ15QdO
— ANI (@ANI) September 29, 2023
The diplomatic relations between the two nations deteriorated following Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s allegations of the potential involvement of Indian government agents in the killing of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey, British Colombia in June. However, India dismissed the allegations as 'absurd and motivated'.