India’s Ministry of External Affairs on Thursday accused Canada of “consistently giving space to anti-India extremists.” During a special press briefing on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the UAE for COP28, MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi, while responding to a query, said India expects the Canadian government to live up to its obligations under the Vienna Convention on diplomatic relations.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has called on the Indian government to cooperate with Canada in the investigation of the killing of India designated terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar after the United States Justice Department filed an indictment against an Indian national for his alleged involvement in a foiled plot to assassinate a US-based leader of the Sikh Separatist Movement in New York, CBC News reported.
Pro-Khalistan leader and designated terrorist in India Gurpatwant Singh Pannun of Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) released a fresh video on Wednesday giving a call to “picket” Air India flights on December 1 at Toronto and Vancouver international airports in Canada.
In response to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s allegations of New Delhi’s involvement in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, Indian External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar has requested evidence to support the claims. During a conversation with former Financial Times Editor Lionel Barber at Wilton Park on Wednesday, Jaishankar emphasised the importance of credible evidence. When asked if there was any evidence of the Indian government’s involvement in the killing, the EAM said, “None.”
India has spearheaded recommendations for Canada to fortify measures preventing attacks on worship places and effectively address hate speech. The proposals were presented during the UN Human Rights Council Review meeting, where diplomats from India, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka shared their insights and recommendations.
Amid a rift in ties between New Delhi and Ottawa, the Foreign Minister of Canada, Melanie Joly, has said that she is in close contact with her Indian counterpart, S Jaishankar, adding that it is a difficult moment in relationship between the two nations that has spanned decades.
Tata owned Air India has entered an interline partnership with Alaska Airlines which will allow Air India guests to avail seamless connections from New York JFK, Newark-New Jersey, Washington DC, Chicago, San Francisco, and Vancouver gateways to and from 32 destinations in the US, Mexico, and Canada.
An immigration agent, accused of cheating several Indian students of tens of thousands of dollars by issuing fake college admission letters to procure study permits to Canada, has denied charges against him.
Canada evacuated its 41 diplomats and 42 accompanying dependents from India after New Delhi “threatened to strip them of their diplomatic immunity”, Foreign Minister Melanie Joly said on Thursday.
On behalf of the Indian community in Canada, a non-profit Hindu group has urged the Justin Trudeau government to take swift action against pro-Khalistan hardliner Gurpatwant Singh Pannun for threatening Indian diplomats and consulates in G7 nations. Pannun, legal counsel of outlawed Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) and a designated terrorist in India, issued fresh threats this week after Indians turned up in huge numbers for a rally at Mel Lastman Square in Toronto on Monday, condemning the Hamas attacks on Israel.
