Canada-India row: Threats to Indian diplomats have ‘increased’ amid diplomatic showdown, says MEA

Canada India row: The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Thursday, November 7 that the threat to Indian diplomats in Ottawa, Canada, has increased.

“Yes, threats to Indian diplomats in Canada have increased. They have been put under surveillance, which is unacceptable. We had also taken up the matter very strongly with the Canadian side on it,” Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson for the MEA, said in a weekly press briefing. 

He said New Delhi had asked for security for the Indian diplomats at the consular camp, which the Canadian government did not provide.

“Over the last year or even more, the kind of things that we have seen attacking Indian diplomats, threatening, intimidating, harassing Indian diplomats,” as per the spokesperson.

This development comes at a time of the tussle over the attacks at the temple in Brampton. The incident was also sternly “condemned” by the MEA, as the Indian government has told the Justin Trudeau government to hold the rule of law and to bring justice to the people who purported the violence.

Under Surveillance

Last week, India accused Canada of involvement in “harassment and intimidation” of Indian consular staff there, saying that they had been put under audio and video surveillance. Jaiswal said that the Indian government has formally protested against it. 

The MEA spokesperson said that communications of the consular staff in Ottawa, Canada, were being intercepted. He said that India looks at such surveillance to be “in flagrant violation of relevant diplomatic and consular conventions.”

Canada-India diplomatic showdown

The diplomatic relations between the two countries have strained since Trudeau alleged Indian government officials' involvement in the killing of Khalistani extremist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

Indian government termed the allegations “absurd” and said that the “designated terrorist” was shot dead by unknown gunmen outside a Sikh temple in British Columbia last year.

India also withdrew Sanjay Kumar Verma, High ommissioner to Canada and other targeted officials from the country.

India also expelled six Canadian diplomats, and in retaliation, Ottawa also expelled six Indian diplomats. 

“Our diplomatic and consular personnel are already functioning in an environment of extremism and violence. This action of the Canadian government aggravates the situation, and is incompatible with established diplomatic norms and practices,” said Jaiswal.

Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly said that the remaining Indian diplomats were also “clearly on notice” after Canada named Sanjay Kumar Verma as a person of interest in Nijjar's killing.

India continues to maintain its position, dismissing Canada's claims against the government and its diplomats. According to media reports, officials said India will not provide any information to Canada until it shares evidence backing the accusations it has made.