New Delhi:
Responding strongly to reviews of social media handles and pages of an Australian information outlet being blocked in Canada hours after it carried a press convention of External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong in addition to an interview of the Indian minister, India has stated such actions spotlight Canada’s hypocrisy in the direction of freedom of speech.
During his Australia go to, which ends on Thursday, Mr Jaishankar met Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and in addition co-chaired the fifteenth Foreign Ministers’ Framework Dialogue with Ms Wong.
Asked in regards to the social media handles of Australia Today being blocked in Canada, Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated on Thursday, “We perceive that social media handles and pages of this outlet, which is a crucial diaspora outlet, have been blocked and should not accessible for viewers in Canada. This occurred a couple of hours after this explicit deal with carried the press convention of the External Affairs Minister with Penny Wong.”
Stating that the outlet had carried an interview with Mr Jaishankar in addition to a number of articles on his go to, Mr Jaiswal added, “We had been shocked. It appears to be like unusual to us. But, nonetheless, these are actions that but once more spotlight the hypocrisy of Canada in the direction of freedom of speech. In his media interactions, the External Affairs Minister spoke about three issues: a sample of Canada making allegations with out proof, the surveillance of Indian diplomats – which he termed unacceptable – and the political area being given in Canada to anti-India components. So you’ll be able to draw your conclusions from that on why the Australia Today channel was blocked.”
Last week, India had stated a few of its consular officers had been knowledgeable by the Canadian authorities that they’ve been underneath audio and video surveillance. Terming the motion a “flagrant violation” of diplomatic conventions, India had stated Canada couldn’t cover behind technicalities to justify its harassment and intimidation and {that a} protest had been lodged with the Canadian authorities.
Mr Jaiswal additionally confirmed that some consular camps have been cancelled in Toronto as a result of they didn’t get safety assurance from Canada. The announcement got here days after the assault on a Hindu temple in Brampton, the place a consular camp was being held, on November 3. PM Narendra Modi had additionally condemned the assault and criticised “cowardly makes an attempt” to intimidate Indian diplomats in Canada.
Ties between India and Canada have been strained since Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau claimed – with out providing any proof – final yr that “Indian brokers” had been concerned within the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. The allegation has been rubbished by New Delhi a number of occasions and it has requested Canada to provide proof to again up the declare.
The relationship hit a brand new low final month when the Indian High Commissioner was termed a “particular person of curiosity” within the killing. India dismissed the contemporary cost as “ludicrous” and withdrew the High Commissioner and a few diplomats whereas expelling six Canadian officers, together with Canada’s performing High Commissioner Stewart Ross Wheeler.