Terrorists given operating space in Canada: EAM Jaishankar

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said terrorists have been given operating space in Canada because of the country’s politics and that India has expressed its concern about the same to the US.

“We consider there’s a permissive Canadian attitude to terrorists and people who openly advocate violence. They have been given operating space in Canada because of Canadian politics. For us, it is certainly been a country where organised crime from India mixed with trafficking in people, secessionism and violence,” Jaishankar said in New York Friday.

VIDEO | “We consider there’s a permissive Canadian attitude to terrorists and people who openly advocate violence. They have been given operating space in Canada because of Canadian politics. For us, it is certainly been a country where organised crime from India mixed with… pic.twitter.com/2rlRUEPHmi

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) September 29, 2023

Meanwhile, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau asserted yesterday that his country is committed to having “stronger ties” with India, days after making “credible allegations” that the Indian government was involved in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

“The Canadian Prime Minister made some allegations, initially privately and then publicly, and our response to him, both in private and public, was that what he was alleging was not consistent with our policy. And that if he or his government had anything relevant and specific that they would like us to look into, we were open to looking at it. That’s where that conversation is at this point of time,” Jaishankar said.

‘Embassies targeted’

“Our point is that there is today a climate of violence, an atmosphere of intimidation…Just just think about it. We have had smoke bombs thrown at the mission. We’ve had our consulates, violence in front of them. Individuals have been targeted and intimidated,” the foreign minister added.

#WATCH | Washington, DC: On India-Canada row, EAM Dr S Jaishankar says, “…Our point is that there is today a climate of violence, an atmosphere of intimidation…Just just think about it. We have had smoke bombs thrown at the mission. We’ve had our consulates, violence in front… pic.twitter.com/QCYLlaMPCr

— ANI (@ANI) September 29, 2023

He continued, “Let’s not normalize what is happening in Canada…So I think it’s necessary to call out what is happening there and our point is this: There may be an individual incident. Yes, if there is an incident and there is an investigation and there are allegations you know there are processes involved in it. I mean nobody is disputing that.”

Stating that India does not require lessons from other countries on the concept of freedom of speech, Jaishankar said that freedom of expression should not extend to incitement of violence.

He said, “I flagged it here (in US), and I flagged this to the Canadians as well. We are a democracy. We don’t need to learn from other people what freedom of speech is about, but we can tell people this…we don’t think freedom of speech extends to incitement to violence. That to us, is the misuse of freedom, that’s not defence of freedom”.

Open to dialogue

The Indian foreign minister said that the governments of India and Canada will have to talk to each other and see how they resolve their differences over the death of a Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

Jaishankar said India was ready to look into the information related to Canada’s allegations of the “potential” involvement of Indian agents in the killing Nijjar on June 18 in British Columbia.

Jaishankar said India has had an ongoing problem with Canada and its government for some years now.

With inputs from agencies