Slamming the "double standards" adopted by the Justin Trudeau-led government in Canada on the way it treats Indian envoys, and its expectations from New Delhi on Canadian diplomats' privileges, External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar on Monday insisted that India would not compromise on a diplomat's right to immunity.
Speaking on the topic, "The India Century - Diplomacy Redefined" at the two-day "NDTV World Summit 2024 - The India Century" event, EAM Jaishankar said: "The licence they give themselves is totally different from the restrictions they impose on diplomats in Canada."
In reference to the troubled relations with Canada recently, S Jaishankar said: "Canada has a problem with Indian diplomats trying to find out what is happening there in relation to India, but the Canadian diplomat in India will have no problem with collecting information on our military or police, profiling people, targeting people to be stopped in Canada."
He also targeted the Ottawa for interpreting the freedom of expression as per its convenience.
"When we tell them that there are people who openly threaten leaders and diplomats of India, their answer is 'freedom of speech, Butler said, slamming the Canadian government for saying that issuing threats to air carriers was part of freedom of speech.
Hinting that Canada's credibility was taking a hit because of its double speak on freedom of speech, the minister said that the Canadian government can list out 20-25 Indian journalists saying they are interfering in my country because they have made social media posts, and this is the same government that says threat to airlines is part of freedom of speech.
He quoted an objection arising from Ottawa when an Indian journalist commented in a post that the Canadian envoy walked out of the South Block looking very grumpy and Ottawa described it as foreign interference.
"There are countries which feel your concerns don't matter. That is part of our politics. But if the slightest of thing happens to them, even if it is legitimate, they start jumping up and down," S Jaishankar said.
"Despite this diplomatic row, EAM Jaishankar said India would like to maintain people-to-people relations with Canada even though New Delhi is having problems with a segment of politics in that country.".
"I will not be so nervous on issues like the safety of Indian families there," he said.
Earlier, in his first reaction after being withdrawn by New Delhi following Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's continued "hostility" towards India, senior diplomat and High Commissioner Sanjay Kumar Verma on Sunday termed the allegations levelled by Ottawa as "politically motivated" with no evidence whatsoever presented by the Canadian government of India's alleged involvement in last year's killing of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
"Nothing at all. No evidence was produced. Politically motivated," Verma told Canada's CTV before leaving the country.
India recently decided to withdraw its High Commissioner and "other targeted diplomats and officials" from Canada after the Trudeau government, in what New Delhi termed as "preposterous imputations", suggested that the Indian High Commissioner and other diplomats are 'persons of interest' in a matter related to an investigation in the country.
Read also| PM Modi Well-Qualified to Serve as Key Mediator Between Russia and Ukraine, Mark Mobius
Read also| Global South Trusts India and PM Modi's Leadership, Bhutan PM
