New Delhi: As relations continue to sour, the Indian government hit out at Canada Thursday over the alleged lack of action against what it termed “anti-India” elements in the North American country.
This came days after Canadian authorities arrested two men for issuing online threats to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and other top officials, such as Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland and New Democratic Party leader Jagmeet Singh.
“We would like to see strong action (and the) same level of action on the threats posed to us. When a democracy adopts different yardsticks to measure or implement the rule of law and freedom of expression, it only exposes its own double standards,” said Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal at a press briefing.
On Monday, two men — aged 67 and 23 — from the Canadian cities of Edmonton and Calgary, were charged for allegedly threatening to kill Trudeau and his top ministers.
“The security environment in which public figures operate continues to evolve both within Canada and abroad, and we recognize this is a time for increased vigilance,” read a statement from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP).
The statement further underlined that the RCMP was responsible for “safeguarding designated Canadians and select foreign diplomatic personnel residing in Canada”, according to Article 22 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.
“In the digital age, where so many interactions occur online and are perceived to be anonymous, there is a belief that virtual actions and words do not have consequences. When these virtual actions or words cross the boundaries of Charter-protected speech and constitute criminal activity, police will investigate thoroughly to hold those responsible accountable,” said Inspector Matthew Johnson, acting officer in-charge of RCMP Federal Policing Integrated National Security Enforcement Team, Northwest Region, in a statement Monday, in relation to the arrests.
Last year, Indian diplomats posted in Canada were targeted in pro-Khalistan posters. The pictures of India’s High Commissioner Sanjay Kumar Verma and Consul General in Toronto, Apoorva Srivastava, featured on placards, purportedly circulated by Sikh extremists, holding them responsible for the death of separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was designated a terrorist by India and was gunned down last year.
Nijjar’s death has been at the centre of deteriorating ties between India and Canada.
The Indian government has, in the past, raised concerns about the Canadian government giving space to extremist elements. “We have requested our partner countries, like Canada, the United States, the UK and Australia, not to give space to the Khalistanis. This will affect our relations. We will raise this poster issue with the government(s) of these countries,” External Affairs Minister Jaishankar had said last July, when the Indian diplomats were targeted.
(Edited by Tikli Basu)