New Delhi: External affairs minister S. Jaishankar Wednesday said that the Centre had informed the Canadian government that it was not “its policy” to engage in such acts, referring to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s claim last week that there was credible intelligence linking Indian agents to the killing of Sikh extremist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
Jaishankar, who was speaking in New York, added that New Delhi is open to looking at any “specific” or “relevant” information.
During the discussion at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) with former US ambassador to India Kenneth Juster, the foreign minister asserted that Canada has created a “very permissive” environment for extremism and organised crime “because of political reasons”. Last week, India had accused Canada of being “a safe haven” for extremists.
“We (India) have actually been badgering the Canadians. We have given them a lot of information on organised crime leadership which operates out of Canada. There are terrorist leaders who have been identified. There is an environment out there,” Jaishankar said during the CFR discussion.
A discussion at @cfr_org with Amb Kenneth Juster https://t.co/QT1RZ7e3i0
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) September 26, 2023
At the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly Tuesday, Jaishankar had emphasised that “political convenience” cannot determine response to terrorism and respecting internal affairs must not be “exercises in cherry picking”.
Meanwhile, in Canada’s national statement, the country’s envoy to the UN, Bob Rae, stated, “We cannot bend the rules of state-to-state relations for political expediency”, adding that various “democracies are under threat due to foreign interference”, hinting at the diplomatic row between New Delhi and Ottawa.
The row has resulted in tit-for-tat expulsions of diplomats, visa bans, and reduction of staff at high commissions.
Also read: Trudeau had a tough week. Modi govt sent a clear message—It takes its reputation seriously
‘Abnormal state of India-China ties’
During the discussion, Jaishankar also spoke about New Delhi’s relationship with Beijing over the past few years. “One of the pleasures of dealing with China is that they never tell you why they do things,” he said.
“The India-China relationship has always had its share of problems,” he added, citing examples of the 1962 war, clashes until 1975 and, most recently, the Galwan valley skirmish in 2020. He added that the Xi Jinping government has given “different explanations at different points of time, none of them really credible”.
Exploring how ties have been impacted in the past three years since the clashes, Jaishankar observed that the relationship between the two countries is in a “very abnormal state, with contacts being disrupted and visits not taking place.”
India-China ties have been strained since clashes along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh in April-May 2020. The two sides have so far held 19 rounds of Corps Commander-level talks to discuss disengagement at the remaining friction points in the region.
(Edited by Smriti Sinha)