New Delhi: External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar Friday confirmed that he did discuss the allegations raised by Canada with US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, while speaking at an event hosted by the Hudson Institute at Washington D.C.
The discussion on Canada found no mention in the readout published by the US Department of State Thursday. Jaishankar is currently in Washington D.C. meeting with US government officials after speaking at the United Nations General Assembly on 26 September.
“Did I speak about it [the situation in Canada] with Jake Sullivan and Tony [Anthony] Blinken? Yes, I did. They obviously shared US views and assessments on this whole situation and I explained to them at some length…I think hopefully, we both came out of those meetings better informed,” Jaishankar said.
During the discussion moderated by distinguished fellow at the Institute, Walter Russell Mead, Jaishankar claimed that Indian diplomats are unsafe and intimidated in Canada.
“Today, I am actually in a situation where my diplomats are unsafe going to the embassy or the consulates in Canada. They are publicly intimidated and that has actually compelled me to temporarily suspend even visa operations in Canada,” he said in the interaction he shared on his X account.
He also explained the status of Indo-Canadian discussions with regards to the accusation made by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on 18 September, linking India to the killing of Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
“The Canadian Prime Minister made some allegations initially privately and then publicly. Our response to him, both in private and public, was that what he was alleging was not consistent with our policy and that if his government had anything relevant and specific they would like us to look into, we were open to looking at it,” he said.
That is where the conversation is at “this point in time”, the EAM added.
Since the allegations made by Trudeau, relations between the two strategic partners — India and Canada — have remained tense. As reported by ThePrint earlier, Canada named and expelled Pavan Kumar Rai, described by its foreign ministry office as the chief of India’s intelligence agency Research and Analysis Wing in Canada. In a tit-for-tat move, India expelled a Canadian diplomat.
New Delhi also asked Ottawa to reduce the number of diplomats deputed to India to maintain ‘parity’, while also temporarily suspending all visa services for Canadians.
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Canada’s domestic compulsions
Jaishankar further explained the Indian view of Canada — that of being a country that has extremely permissive attitudes towards terrorists, extremists and people who advocate for violence.
“For us, it [Canada] has certainly been a country where organised crime from India mixed with trafficking in people, mixed with secessionism, violence, terrorism… it is a very toxic combination of issues and people who have found operating space there,” he said.
He said that the Canadian attitude seemed permissive “towards terrorists, extremists, people who openly advocate for violence and they have been given an operating space in Canada because of the compulsion of Canadian politics”.
According to media reports, at a press conference at Washington D.C. Friday evening, Jaishankar raised the question that it was unthinkable that in a G7 country, Indian diplomats are intimidated to the point where normal functions had to be suspended.
“I was thinking back, when was the last time any of our missions was intimidated to a point that it could not continue with its normal function? I really have to think back. And if someone says that this could happen in a G7 country and a Commonwealth country, you know it gives you a lot to think about,” he said.
Meeting with senior US officials
On Friday, Jaishankar also met US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and the Secretary of Commerce, Gina Raimondo.
On the meeting with Austin, Jaishankar posted on X that he held a “productive conversation” on bilateral defence cooperation and exchanged views on global security challenges.
Likewise, with Secretary Raimondo, he said, he discussed technological collaboration and economic partnership — agreeing to enhance their momentum.
At the press conference mentioned above, Jaishankar highlighted that he spoke to the Americans about Canada’s “permissive” attitude towards extremists and people advocating for violence — adding that a lot of what he said was “new” to the Americans — even astonishing to some to hear about New Delhi’s perception of Canada.
“It is important we talk it out with the Americans. After all, they are very close to Canada and good friends of ours. It is important that they also have an accurate picture — that they have our point of view on this matter as well,” he added.
(Edited by Smriti Sinha)
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