New Delhi: By permitting political area to Khalistani separatist components, the Canadian authorities is sending a message that its vote financial institution is “more powerful” than its rule of legislation, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar stated.
In an unique interview to PTI late Thursday, Jaishankar stated India respects and practices freedom of speech, however that doesn’t equate with freedom to threaten overseas diplomats, lengthen help to separatism or permit political area to components advocating violence.
The exterior affairs minister additionally questioned how individuals with doubtful backgrounds are being allowed to enter and reside in Canada, referring to Khalistani supporters among the many Sikh migrants from Punjab.
“In any rule-based society, you would imagine that you would check people’s background, how they came, what passports they carried etc,” he stated.
“If you have people whose presence there was itself on very dubious documents, what does it say about you? It actually says that your vote-bank actually is more powerful than your rule of law,” he stated.
The Indian diaspora in Canada is about 1.8 million robust and there are one other a million Non-Resident Indians residing within the nation. The Indian diaspora, largely of Sikh ethnicity, is taken into account an influential bloc in Canada’s politics.
Ties between India and Canada got here beneath extreme pressure following Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s allegations in September final 12 months of the “potential” involvement of Indian brokers within the killing of Nijjar.
New Delhi rejected Trudeau’s costs as “absurd”. India has been sustaining that the principle difficulty has been that of Canada giving area to pro-Khalistani components working from Canadian soil with impunity.
“It is not so much a question of running out of options. What we have seen to our regret has been the direction of Canadian politics where separatists, extremists forces, many of whom openly advocate violence have been given political space in that country,” Jaishankar stated.
“And there are people in positions of prominence today in Canadian politics who actually espouse that kind of separatism and extremism,” he stated.
Jaishankar stated India can not overlook the difficulty for the sake of excellent relations.
“Whenever we have taken it up with the Canadians, and it is not a new issue — it has been going on almost for 10 years; they keep saying, ‘oh we have freedom of speech’,” he stated.
“We also have freedom of speech in our country. But freedom of speech does not mean freedom to threaten foreign diplomats, freedom of speech does not mean the kind of positions and the kind of activities which people in Canada are doing which does harm to our country because of its support for separatism,” he stated.
“And freedom of speech does not mean this kind of space which is also given to people of various dubious background — people associated with organised crime and so on,” he stated.
His remarks got here in response to a query on how India plans to take care of challenges emanating from Canada and whether or not the choices for New Delhi are operating out.
“We cannot for the sake of good relations overlook that,” he stated through the freewheeling interview at PTI’s headquarters.
In the previous couple of months, India has been expressing considerations over the safety of its diplomats in Canada and calling on Ottawa to make sure that they’re able to perform their tasks with out concern.
There have been situations of pro-Khalistani components threatening to hurt Indian diplomats.
Days after Trudeau’s allegations final September, India requested Ottawa to downsize its diplomatic presence within the nation to make sure parity. Canada subsequently withdrew 41 diplomats and their relations from India.
India has been asserting that its “core issue” with Canada stays that of the area given to separatists, terrorists and anti-India components in that nation.
Last week, Canadian authorities charged three Indian nationals with the homicide of Nijjar. It is reported that they entered Canada on pupil visas.
On Thursday, India stated Canada has not offered any “specific” proof or data within the case but.
External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal additionally stated that India continued to stay involved concerning the safety of its diplomatic representatives in Canada and count on Ottawa to make sure that they’re able to perform their tasks with out concern.
