'When it comes to India, I have mentioned it many times, I am in close contact with my counterpart, S Jaishankar, and we know this is a difficult moment in a relationship that spanned decades, so therefore I am confident that we will be able to get through this difficult period'
Amid worsening bilateral ties in the wake of tit-for-tat expulsions over the alleged Indian involvement in the killing of a Khalistani leader on its soil, the Canadian government on Tuesday issued a travel advisory, asking his citizens to 'exercise a high degree of caution'.
The Indian government has lodged a strong protest with Canada after consular officials at the Indian consulate in Vancouver were informed they were under audio and video surveillance and that their private communications had been intercepted. The Indian government maintains that Canada has provided space for pro-Khalistan elements operating from Canadian soil with impunity and has urged Canada to take action against anti-India elements.
India on Wednesday advised all its nationals living in Canada and those contemplating travelling there to exercise "utmost caution" in view of growing anti-India activities and "politically-condoned" hate crimes as well as "criminal violence" in that country.
Canada's envoy to the United Nations, Robert Rae, during his address to world leaders at the UN General Assembly on Tuesday raised the issue of 'foreign interference' adding that the rules of state-to-state relations, cannot be bent for 'political expediency'.
India urged Canada to disallow activities of groups promoting extremism, prevent attacks on places of worship of religious and racial minorities, and enhance measures to address hate crimes and hate speech.
The 'deliberate attack' on a Hindu temple in Canada sparked strong condemnation in India on Monday, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi asking the Canadian government to ensure justice and uphold the rule of law.
Canada has evacuated a majority of its diplomats working in India outside of New Delhi to either Kuala Lumpur or Singapore after it gave Ottawa an October 10 deadline to reduce its diplomatic staff to achieve parity in strength following a row over the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, according to a media report on Friday.
'Are we to believe that coordinated moves by the Canadian and US authorities are no longer taking place?', asks Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
The immigration tribunal ruled that the Sikh man who "housed and fed" armed Khalistani militants in India over a decade should be allowed into Canada because he did so "mostly out of necessity" and fear of retribution, the paper said.
Amid the ongoing diplomatic tussle between India and Canada over the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a group of hackers claiming to be Indian Cyber Force temporarily disabled the official website of Canadian army, The Telegraph, London, reported on Thursday.
Canada will be pausing all in-person services at the consulates in Chandigarh, Mumbai and Bengaluru and is now directing all Canadians in India to the High Commission in New Delhi.
A private agency hired by India to carry out initial scrutiny of visa applications of Canadians on Thursday put out a note on its website on suspension of visa services but hours later withdrew it.
Two weeks ago, New Delhi asked Ottawa to downsize its diplomatic presence in India.
India, Canada relations have nosedived after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's allegations last month linking Indian agents to the killing of Khalistani extremist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in June.
"One, we told the Canadians that this is not the Government of India's policy," Jaishankar said. "Two, we told the Canadians saying that look, if you have something specific, if you have something relevant, let us know. We are open to looking at it," Jaishankar said while responding to a question from former US ambassador to India and CFR Distinguished Fellow Kenneth Juster, in his first public comments on the issue.
India on Thursday insisted on the need for ensuring "parity" in Canada's diplomatic presence in the country and asserted that its measures are in compliance with the Vienna conventions on diplomatic relations, signalling continuing strain in the bilateral ties over the killing of a Sikh separatist leader in June.
Weeks before Canada made an explosive allegation implicating Indian officials in the killing of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar, Canadian officials sought public condemnation of the murder from their allies, including the United States, but were met with reluctance, The Washington Post reported.
'In today's world, it is difficult for public pressure to work against a country like India.'
According to the Peel Regional Police, on the night of October 2, it received reports of shots fired in the area of Donald Stewart Road and Brisdale Drive in Brampton.
The Canadian government and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police have confirmed they are investigating a possible terror threat.
The deteriorating ties have raised many questions about the nature of the bilateral relationship, particularly its impact on the large Indo-Canadian population and students currently living in Canada.
Days after an offensive video from a pro-Khalistan group threatening Hindus in Canada to leave the country went viral, top federal public safety officials and politicians have denounced the 'online hate video' and asserted that Hindus are 'safe and welcome'.
As its diplomatic row with Canada escalates over the killing of a Khalistani separatist, India has apprised its key Western partners and friends about its concerns over increasing activities of anti-India elements from Canadian soil, sources said on Thursday.
Let the governments do what they are doing, let the government do diplomacy but everyone knows that in the long term, Canada's strategic interest and India's strategic interest are absolutely aligned," the high commissioner said.
The Canadian government has said the circulation of an online video in which Hindu Canadians are told to leave the country is offensive and hateful, asserting that acts of aggression, hate, intimidation or incitement of fear have no place in Canada.
The issue was raised by Secretary of State Tony Blinken during his meeting with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in Washington, DC last week.
A group of eminent Indian-Americans has condemned the brazen hateful comments and a hostile environment against Hindus in Canada and asked Ottawa not to mix freedom of expression with freedom for terror and endorse hate crimes by being silent on the issue.
Pro-Khalistan elements based in Canada have been luring gullible Sikh youth to the North American country by sponsoring their visa with the sole objective of using them to carry out their agenda on Canadian soil, sources said on Wednesday.
No single individual, institution, or action is to blame for this. The BJP is responding in kind -- definitely not without checking with its government. And they wait for Mr Trump, notes Shekhar Gupta.
The United States has said there ought to be a full and fair investigation into Canada's allegations that the Indian government was involved in the killing of a separatist Sikh leader in British Columbia earlier this year.
India on Thursday announced temporarily suspending issuance of visas to Canadian citizens in view of "security threats" faced by its high commission and consulates in Canada, amid an escalating diplomatic row over Ottawa's allegations relating to the killing of a Khalistani separatist on Canadian soil.
From bhikshus of Ashokan 3rd century BC and medieval Sufis to Oxfam, Omidyar and Soros now, non-State actors have any real power only when they work in conjunction with a real State, asserts Shekhar Gupta.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday said that the Canadian allegations with regard to the death of a Khalistani separatist was discussed during his meeting with the Secretary of State Tony Blinken a day earlier and noted that the two delegations came out "better informed" after the meeting.
'Countries like Israel said openly that they will hunt people down. We have no such policy.' 'We have always been following the legal process of getting them (people wanted by India) through extradition.'
At least nine separatist organisations supporting terror groups have their bases in Canada and despite multiple deportation requests Ottawa has taken no action against those involved in heinous crimes, including the killing of popular Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala, officials in New Delhi said on Tuesday.
The Indian envoy said that India was "absolutely" and "decidedly" not involved in the homicide, terming it a "motivated and absurd allegation."
'And when the floats go by in the parade garlanded and decorated with the posters of gun toting assassins and murderers and martyrs, you look the other way.' 'And in return we will bring you 10,000 votes because the people of the gurdwaras will vote as we tell them to vote.'
Gangster Sukhdul Singh alias Sukha Duneke, one of Punjab's most wanted criminals, was killed in the Canadian city of Winnipeg by unidentified people, sources said on Thursday.
'We have unfortunately created that kind of ecosystem in Canada where these people are very vocal, very violent, very aggressive, and they don't let anybody.... come out against them. They will bully, they will threaten, they will use every possible illegal means... to counter any sanity'
