New Delhi: India on Thursday accused Canada of blocking the social media accounts of Australian media outlet Australia Today shortly after it broadcast a press conference featuring External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his Australian counterpart Penny Wong.
External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said Canada's actions were hypocritical. "We understand that Canada has blocked the social media handles and pages of Australia Today, a key diaspora outlet. This occurred just hours after the outlet streamed the press conference of EAM Dr S Jaishankar and Penny Wong," Jaiswal said during a weekly media briefing.
"We were taken aback by this move. It seems strange to us, but what I would say is that it highlights the hypocrisy of Canada when it comes to freedom of speech," Jaiswal added.
The spokesperson noted that during his visit to Canberra, Jaishankar had addressed the allegations made by Canada against India, calling them baseless as no specific evidence had been provided. "In his media interactions, the External Affairs Minister mentioned three key points. First, Canada has been making repeated allegations against India without presenting any concrete evidence," he said.
The second issue Jaishankar raised was the surveillance of Indian diplomats in Canada, which he described as "unacceptable." "The third point was the political space given to anti-India elements in Canada. You can draw your own conclusions about why Australia Today was blocked by Canada," Jaiswal said.
Jaishankar is in Australia from November 3-7, where he and Wong held a joint press briefing in Canberra. The Indian minister also addressed questions about the Brampton temple incident and the broader diplomatic tensions between India and Canada.
On the Brampton incident, Jaishankar described the attack on the Hindu temple as "deeply concerning" and pointed to it as indicative of the "political space" given to "extremist forces" in Canada. He also accused the Canadian government of repeatedly making unsubstantiated allegations against India, PTI reported.
The incident in Brampton involved clashes between protesters carrying Khalistani flags and attendees at the Hindu Sabha temple. The altercation disrupted a consular event organized jointly by the temple authorities and the Indian Consulate.
Jaiswal reiterated India's position on the diplomatic standoff, condemning the attack on the Brampton temple and urging the Canadian government to uphold the rule of law and ensure the perpetrators were brought to justice. "We have called on the Canadian government to take appropriate action," the spokesperson said.
Regarding the cancellation of consular camps in Toronto, Jaiswal confirmed the decision, stating that the Indian consulate had to call off the event due to insufficient security assurances from the Canadian authorities. "The consular camp was cancelled because the Indian side did not receive adequate security guarantees from the host government," he explained.
Jaiswal emphasized that consular camps are vital for the large Indian diaspora in Canada, particularly in November and December when many people require documentation for pension continuation and other services in India. "These camps are important for both Indian nationals and people of Indian origin," he said. "However, consular camps will still take place in other parts of Canada, such as Vancouver, at the request of community organizations."
When asked if security had been specifically requested by India, Jaiswal confirmed, "Yes, we requested security for our diplomats during these consular camps, but the Canadian side did not provide that security."
Finally, on the topic of threats to Indian diplomatic and consular staff in Canada, Jaiswal acknowledged that such threats had increased. "The surveillance of our diplomats is completely unacceptable, as the External Affairs Minister mentioned in Canberra. India has raised this matter very strongly with Canada," he said.