Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is blaming Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for a diplomatic chill with India, saying Ottawa needs a B次元官网网址減rofessional relationshipB次元官网网址� with the government of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Meanwhile, ModiB次元官网网址檚 government says it is upset with the federal Liberals and not Canada as a whole.
Trudeau announced in the House of Commons last month that Canadian intelligence services are investigating B次元官网网址渃redibleB次元官网网址� information about B次元官网网址渁 potential linkB次元官网网址� between IndiaB次元官网网址檚 government and the killing of Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 fine to have our disagreements and to hold each other accountable, but we have to have a professional relationship B次元官网网址� with the Indian government,B次元官网网址� Poilievre told Namaste Radio Toronto in a video posted online Saturday afternoon.
Poilievre also blamed Trudeau for the B次元官网网址渁ggression shown to Indian diplomats at public events.B次元官网网址�
Earlier this year, before TrudeauB次元官网网址檚 revelation regarding the Nijjar case, India lamented rowdy protests by Sikh separatist groups outside diplomatic missions in Canada, and posters offering cash rewards for the home addresses of IndiaB次元官网网址檚 diplomats.
New Delhi formally called on Canada to better uphold its duty to protect foreign diplomats and in late August, IndiaB次元官网网址檚 high commissioner to Canada, Sanjay Kumar Verma, said his country was B次元官网网址渧ery satisfiedB次元官网网址� that the Liberal government had responded appropriately and that its diplomats were secure.
Poilievre claims in the interview that Trudeau is turning Canadians against each other, citing vandalism at Hindu places of worship.
B次元官网网址淚 strongly condemn all threats on the attacks on Hindu mandirs, the threats against Hindu leaders,B次元官网网址� Poilievre told Namaste Radio Toronto.
B次元官网网址淭here should be criminal charges laid against anyone who attacks either the property or people at Hindu mandirs, just like anywhere else.B次元官网网址�
Poilievre did not cite a specific example, but he mentioned a month ago on X, formerly known as Twitter, B次元官网网址渉ateful comments targeting Hindus in CanadaB次元官网网址� that he said needed to be called out.
In the interview, Poilievre did not mention the Nijjar case, nor did the interviewer ask about it. Poilievre has previously said that those responsible for the homicide must be prosecuted, and has urged Trudeau to provide more of its information on the case.
B次元官网网址淛ustin Trudeau is considered a laughingstock in India, the worldB次元官网网址檚 biggest democracy,B次元官网网址� Poilievre said in his interview.
His office declined to comment about the interview Monday.
Poilievre did not directly mention Sikhs in Canada, nor a subset of those communities who advocate for a separate state in India they call Khalistan.
But the World Sikh Organization in Canada argues Poilievre is indirectly pointing the finger at Sikhs.
B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e talking about the violation of Canadian sovereignty and the assassination of Canadian citizen on Canadian soil, (allegedly) by India,B次元官网网址� the groupB次元官网网址檚 lawyer Balpreet Singh said.
B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 very disappointed to see His MajestyB次元官网网址檚 loyal opposition leader siding with a hostile foreign government against Canadian intelligence, Five Eyes intelligence and frankly the memory of a dead Canadian citizen.B次元官网网址�
Singh said his group condemns calls for violence against Hindu people, but he said Poilievre is siding with New Delhi against Canadian interests.
B次元官网网址淲e shouldnB次元官网网址檛 be playing politics with a matter of this gravity,B次元官网网址� he said.
B次元官网网址淭he situation is not a result of Prime Minister TrudeauB次元官网网址檚 actions or individuals in the Sikh community who have spoken out against Indian diplomats.B次元官网网址�
Also this past weekend, IndiaB次元官网网址檚 foreign affairs minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said his country might end its freeze on Canadian visas if Canada better ensures the safety of Indian diplomats.
B次元官网网址淲e stopped issuing visas in Canada because it was no longer safe for our diplomats to go to work to issue visas,B次元官网网址� Jaishankar claimed on Sunday, despite his own envoy to Ottawa saying otherwise.
B次元官网网址淥ur diplomats are not safe. If we see progress there, I would like very much to resume the issuing of visas. My hope would be that it would be something which would happen very, very soon.B次元官网网址�
Jaishankar also claimed that New DelhiB次元官网网址檚 decision to reduce CanadaB次元官网网址檚 diplomatic presence in India B次元官网网址� leading to the majority being removed from the country B次元官网网址� was the result of unspecified meddling by Canada in India.
B次元官网网址淲e invoked parity because we had concerns about continuous interference in our affairs by Canadian personnel,B次元官网网址� he said.
B次元官网网址淲e havenB次元官网网址檛 made much of that public. My sense is over a period of time, more stuff will come out and people will understand why we had that discomfort with many of them.B次元官网网址�
IndiaB次元官网网址檚 envoy to Canada said on Aug. 31 that B次元官网网址渨e feel very satisfiedB次元官网网址� with OttawaB次元官网网址檚 response to a request for better protection. B次元官网网址淥ur concerns have been taken on board. It has been well understood,B次元官网网址� Verma said.
Foreign Affairs Minister M茅lanie Joly revealed on Sept. 14 that Indian diplomats in Canada B次元官网网址渉ave 24/7 security,B次元官网网址� which is a service Ottawa offers to very few diplomatic missions.
Jaishankar also said Sunday he takes issue with the federal Liberals. B次元官网网址淭he problems we have are with a certain segment of Canadian politics, and the policies which flow from that,B次元官网网址� he said.
University of British Columbia professor Vina Nadjibulla said thatB次元官网网址檚 the first time India has ever explicitly indicated its issues with Canada fall along political lines.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 quite surprising, for a foreign secretary like Jaishankar to say that B次元官网网址� essentially pointing at the Liberal government and at the prime minister himself,B次元官网网址� she said.
Nadjibulla said sheB次元官网网址檚 seen B次元官网网址渢roublingB次元官网网址� posters around Surrey, B.C., that call for violence toward Indian government officials.
B次元官网网址淭he challenge that B次元官网网址� countries that have large diasporas of Sikh communities have is to obviously protect freedoms of expression and freedom of assembly, but also recognize that there is a serious concern for India when it comes to this issue,B次元官网网址� she said.
B次元官网网址淲e have to engage both sides.B次元官网网址�
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