New Delhi: External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar has called the Sunday attack on a Hindu temple in Canada in the presence of Indian consular officials “deeply concerning,” while his Australian counterpart Penny Wong highlighted how “upsetting” the vandalism and violence at the place of worship was for members of the Indian community, at a joint press conference in Canberra Tuesday.
Jaishankar said the condemnatory statements that followed the onslaught, first by the official spokesperson of the Indian foreign ministry, and then by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, “should convey… how deeply we feel about it”.
In response to a question on the attack, Australian foreign minister Wong, said, “In relation to the vandalism you describe, I know that our local members have expressed a very strong view about … particularly in the week of Diwali, it is a very upsetting thing for members of the faith community and the Indian community more broadly.”
Wong added that while people also have “the right to peaceful protests” and to express their views “peacefully”, in Australia “we draw a line between that and violence, incitement of hatred or vandalism,” stressing that these must be dealt with by authorities.
The Australian foreign minister commented on its Five Eyes ally, Canada, after co-chairing the fifteenth Foreign Ministers’ Framework Dialogue (FMFD) with Jaishankar in Canberra Tuesday.
Jaishankar, on a five-day trip to Australia from 3-7 November, inaugurated a new consulate in Brisbane Monday, before his interactions with Wong the next day.
He will head to Sydney Wednesday for discussions with business groups before leaving for Singapore on an official visit on 8 November.
‘Canada makes allegations without specifics’
When questioned on Canada’s allegations about the killing of Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, Jaishankar said the North American country had developed a “pattern of making allegations without providing specifics”.
“When we look at Canada, the fact that they are putting our diplomats under surveillance is something that is unacceptable. The incidents (the attack on the temple) which the gentlemen there spoke about … do look at the video. I think they would tell you in a way the political space which is being given to extremists there,” he added.
The minister asserted that India “believes in freedoms, but we also believe that freedoms should not be misused”. He pointed out that the issue of Sikh separatism in Canada was discussed with Wong.
Nijjar, an India-designated terrorist, was killed outside a gurdwara in Canada in June 2023. In September that year, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged that Indian officials had a link to the killing–a charge India called “absurd and motivated”.
This set off a chill in diplomatic ties, which escalated in recent weeks after Ottawa asked New Delhi to waive diplomatic immunity for six of its diplomats in Canada, including then-high commissioner Sanjay Kumar Verma. India rejected Canada’s request, withdrew the six diplomats, and expelled six Canadian diplomats including its acting high commissioner and deputy high commissioner.
Canada is a Five Eyes intelligence ally for Australia, while India is a comprehensive strategic partner and a member of Quad–a strategic partnership between India, Australia, Japan and the US. The other three countries in the Five Eyes grouping are New Zealand, the UK and the US.
Wong added at the briefing that Australia had made clear its concerns about the allegations under investigation. “We have said we respect Canada’s judicial process. We have conveyed our views to India and we have a principled position in relation to matters such as the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary and also the sovereignty of all countries,” she added.
(Edited by Tikli Basu)
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