MELBOURNE, 5 November, 2024: India’s worsening relations with Canada over its alleged involvement in the killing of Khalistan activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar (denied by India) and the subsequent expulsion or withdrawal of each others diplomats had its shadow on a media conference attended by Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong and India’s Minister of External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar in Canberra today.
Earlier, the two leaders had talks on many issues including the India-Canada spat over the Nijjar case.
India had denied any involvement in the Nijjar case and Official Spokesman of the MEA Randhir Jaisawal in a statement on October 14, 2024 and posted on X, the MEA said, ” The Government of India strongly rejects these preposterous imputations and ascribes them to the political agenda of the Trudeau Government that is centered around vote bank politics.” And, this was reiterated by Dr. S. Jaishankar today at the media conference, saying Canada was giving political space to extremist voices.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong, said Australia has ‘made clear concerns’ over the issue and it respects Canada’s judicial process in this matter. The Foreign Minister was answering to a question by a journalist at the press conference.
She also said people have a right to peaceful protest and we draw a line between that and violence, incitement of hatred, or vandalism. We are a multi‑cultural democracy. We cherish that fact, but we also cherish those principles which enable that multi‑cultural democracy to flourish and they are respect of one another, and a right to express different views peacefully, she said.
On a question of reports of attack on a Hindu temple in Canada, she said, “Well first in relation to safety, all Australians regardless of their faith, their culture, who they are, where they live, are entitled to be safe and they’re entitled to be respected. And in relation to the vandalism that you describe I know that our local members have expressed a very strong view about that, particularly in the week of Diwali, it’s a very upsetting thing for peoples of the faith community and the Indian community more broadly. So I would again say people across Australia have a right to be safe and respected.”
India’s Foreign Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar answering to a journalist’s question said, ” Let me make three comments. One, Canada has developed a pattern of making allegations without providing specifics. Secondly, when we look at Canada for us the fact that they’re putting our diplomats under surveillance is something which is unacceptable. Third, the incidents which the gentleman there spoke about, do look at the video, I think they would tell you in a way the political space today which is being given to extremist voices there. So we believe in freedoms, we also believe freedom should not be abused, and have we had a talk about it, exactly on the lines.”
Other subjects covered in the press conference were – Australia-India relationship; US election; Quad and India-China developments.
Full transcript of the press conference: https://www.foreignminister.gov.au/minister/penny-wong/transcript/press-conference-canberra-4
This report will be updated as and when necessary.
