New Delhi: India has raised the issue of posters appearing in Canada with the photos and names of India’s top diplomats with the Canadian government. Canada’s foreign minister Mélanie Joly has noted that the promotional materials are “unacceptable” and said that the “actions of a few do not speak for an entire community or Canada.”
As per reports, pro-Khalistani posters had appeared for a protest march to Indian missions in Toronto and Vancouver over the killing of Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) chief Hardeep Singh Nijjar last month. The poster insinuated that the Indian government was behind the killing and had the photos and names of the Indian high commissioner and consul general.
Speaking to reporters, Indian external affairs minister S. Jaishankar said that the matter was being raised with Canada. “We will raise the issue of posters with those government. I think it would have already been done by now as it happened two to three days earlier,” he said outside a BJP outreach event, as per PTI.
He also claimed that “radical, extremist Khalistani ideology” is not good for India or its partner countries such as the US, Canada, the UK and Australia.
“We have already requested our partner countries like Canada, the US, the UK and Australia where sometimes Khalistani activities happen, not to give space to Khalistanis. Because their (Khalistanis) radical, extremist thinking is neither good for us nor for them nor our relations,” the minister said.
India has also summoned the Canadian high commissioner to discuss the issue.
Canada’s foreign minister tweeted early today, July 4, that the country takes its obligations under the Vienna Conventions regarding the safety of diplomats very seriously.
“Canada remains in close contact with Indian officials in light of some of the promotional material circulating online regarding a protest planned for July 8th, which are unacceptable,” she wrote.
“We know that the actions of a few do not speak for an entire community, or Canada,” she added.
My comment regarding some of the promotional material circulating for a planned protest on July 8. pic.twitter.com/yYoWDCvAdi
— Mélanie Joly (@melaniejoly) July 4, 2023
Last month, India slammed Canada after visuals surfaced on social media of a tableau in Brampton that reportedly celebrated the assassination of former prime minister Indira Gandhi. Jaishankar has repeatedly claimed that Canada was restrained in combating the Khalistani issue due to “votebank compulsions”.