External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar (file photo)Image source: PTI
As relations between New Delhi and Ottawa soured over last year’s killing of Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada, Foreign Minister S Jaishankar on Monday accused Canada of double standards. Jaishankar mentioned how Canada treated other diplomats and their attempts to use diplomatic privileges while in India.
He said double standard was too mild a word. Last week, India expelled six Canadian diplomats after Canada filed new accusations against the Indian government in the Nijjar murder. India also recalled its high commissioner and five other diplomats. All these diplomats will return to India. The Canadian government has said that Indian diplomats have been deported.
decided to recall diplomats
Jaishankar said at the NDTV World Summit, I think there are some very selective issues. Canada asked us to launch a police investigation into our high commissioner, after which we decided to recall the high commissioner and diplomats. He said that even as Indian diplomats try to understand the issues going on in Canada that are directly related to their well-being and security, they (Canada) still seem to have some sort of problem.
But look what will happen in India, the foreign minister said. Canadian diplomats have no problem gathering information about our military and police, gathering information about people and preventing them from traveling to Canada.
Indian diplomats banned from entering
Jaishankar said it was clear that they had made separate rules for themselves while invoking the same rules to ban Indian diplomats from Canada. When we tell them that there are people who are openly threatening Indian leaders, Indian diplomats, their response is that this is free speech.
Relations between the two countries deteriorated
Relations between the two countries soured after Canada accused Indian High Commissioner Sanjay Verma and other diplomats of involvement in Nijar’s murder. India completely denies all allegations leveled by Canada in the Nijar murder case. Nijjar is a designated terrorist by India.