New Delhi, Dec 13 (PTI) Against the backdrop of the US’ allegations of an Indian link to a failed assassination plot and Canada’s charges relating to the killing of a Sikh separatist, Australia on Wednesday said it has “anxieties” over the matters but asserted that New Delhi and Canberra are capable of managing “differences” and “sensitive” issues.
Australian High Commissioner Philip Green said the two sides discuss these issues “sensitively and carefully behind closed doors”.
At an interactive session, hosted by the Asia Society Policy Institute, the newly-appointed envoy said Australia’s engagement with India on these issues is less as a “Five-Eyes” partner and more as a friend of India.
The Five Eyes (FVEY) is an intelligence-sharing alliance comprising Australia, the US, Canada, New Zealand and the UK.
“Australia’s engagement with India on this issue is less as a Five-Eyes partner and more as a friend of India and a country that is respectful of India with which we have a mature relationship,” Green said.
“We discuss these issues sensitively and carefully behind closed doors and I do not propose to go any further today than the statements that my foreign minister and our department made about their anxieties over these matters,” he said.
Green was replying to a question on the charges levelled by the US and Canada linking New Delhi to a thwarted plot to assassinate a Sikh separatist and in the killing of a Sikh extremist respectively.
“We are also learning about each other at a deeper level: we’ve had our differences and we’re managing sensitive issues ‘ including the concerns we have about alleged activities on US and Canadian territory,” the Australian High Commissioner said in his address at the event.
The US federal prosecutors have charged Nikhil Gupta of working with an Indian government employee in the foiled plot to kill Sikh separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, who holds dual citizenship of the US and Canada.
India has already constituted a probe team to investigate the allegations.
In September, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made an explosive allegation of a “potential” involvement of Indian agents in the killing of Khalistani extremist Hardeep Singh Nijjar on Canadian soil in June. India strongly rejected the allegations.
Asked whether Australia would apply the same standard of friendship to India that it applies to the US, Green did not give a direct reply but said “the US is the foundation stone of our security.” The envoy said the Australia-US cooperation has been fertilised by decades of “very close cooperation” in diverse areas.
“The development of the US relationship has gone for decades. The US is the foundation stone of our security and part of our global security that has been fertilised by decades of very close cooperation in diverse areas.
“With India, we are catching up, catching up fast,” he said.
“There is a stability about the US-Australia relations and in a good way, the Australia-India relationship is not so stable. They are moving fast and there are many opportunities to take advantage of it,” he said.
Asked about attacks on Hindu temples in Australia, Green said his country has taken these incidents very seriously.
“We take the sort of acts that you are talking about in relation to Hindu temples as seriously as we would take any act in relation to any religious element in our society,” he said.
Green said Australian police and concerned authorities are deeply focused on addressing these issues.
He said people can protest in a peaceful way and without breaking the law in Australia. PTI MPB ZMN
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