Watch: Vote-bank politics driving Canada's response to Khalistani issue, says S Jaishankar

The response of Canada to the Khalistani issue seems to be driven by vote-bank politics, said External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, adding that India will respond if the activities affect on its sovereignty, territorial integrity and national security.

“For us, how Canada has dealt with the Khalistani issue has been a long-standing concern. Because very frankly, they seem to be driven by vote-bank politics,” Jaishankar said, while addressing an event on “9 Years of Modi Government: A Foreign Policy Overview” at the India International Centre in New Delhi.

The India’s foreign minister has again highlighted that the ties between India and Canada have been impacted in many ways in the last few years due to the Khalistani issue.

India has been persistently asking Canada to restrict pro-Khalistani separatist and extremist elements activities on its soil.

‘Canada’s response constrained by vote bank compulsions’

Jaishankar said the responses of Canada have all been, “to the best of my understanding, actually constrained by what they regard as vote bank compulsions”.

#WATCH | Delhi: Dr EAM S Jaishankar on Canada: “They seem driven by vote-bank politics. Their responses have been constrained by what they regard as vote bank compulsions. If there are activities in Canada that impinge on our national security & integrity, then we will have to… pic.twitter.com/knNz7z8e9B

— ANI (@ANI) June 28, 2023

"We (India) made it very clear and I have done so in public, which is that if there are activities that are permitted from Canada that impinge on our sovereignty, territorial integrity and security, then we will have to respond," the EAM said.

India-Canada ties impacted

“It is something which is a continuing conversation with Canada; not always a satisfactory conversation but it is something on which we are very clear. You can see that in many ways in the last few years, it has impacted our ties,” Jaishankar said.

There has been a rise in Khalistan activities in Canada over the recent past.

Earlier this month, a controversial tableau depicting the assassination of India's former prime minister Indira Gandhi was parade in Ontario, which drew strong criticism from New Delhi. Apart from Jaishankar and the High Commissioner of Canada in India, Punjabi diaspora settled in Canada too have condemned the tableau.

In March this year, Khalistan supporters protested outside the Indian Embassy in Canada and raised pro-Khalistan slogans.

With inputs from agencies

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