India slams Canada for not acting against Khalistanis

New Delhi, NT Bureau: Days after Canadian authorities acted against two men for allegedly making online threats against Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, India on Thursday criticised Canada for not taking similar action against pro-Khalistan elements who threatened Indian leaders and diplomats.

In strong comments, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said: "When a democracy adopts different yardsticks to measure or implement the rule of law and freedom of expression, it only exposes its own double standard."

India has been consistently pressing Canada to take action against antiIndia elements operating from its soil. In the last few months, the pro-Khalistani elements have displayed photographs of Indian leaders and Indian diplomats with violent slogans in several places in Canada.

"We expect Canada to take action against antiIndia elements who have repeatedly threatened Indian leaders, institutions, airlines and diplomats by violence," Jaiswal said at his weekly media briefing.

"We would like to see strong action, same level of action on threats against us," he said, responding to a question. On reports of vandalisation of a temple in Canada's Edmonton, Jaiswal said India has strongly taken up the matter with that country.

"We have strongly taken up the matter with Canadian authorities, both in Delhi and Ottawa. We condemn the vandalisation," he said.

"We expect the local authorities to take strong and swift action against those responsible. These attacks against temples have become a recurring occurrence and are done with a purpose which is not difficult to fathom," Jaiswal said.

The MEA spokesperson, referring to similar incidents in recent times, said lack of action against the perpetrators has further emboldened them. "We have seen a number of such incidents in recent times in Canada. Lack of action against the perpetrators has further emboldened such criminal elements," he said.

"Those advocating and responsible for extremism and violence need to be brought to justice or else the rule of law and respect for pluralism in Canada will continue to be severely undermined. We hope the Canadian government will take action," he said. 

The relations between India and Canada came under severe strain following Prime Minister Trudeau's allegations in September last year of a "potential" involvement of Indian agents in the killing of Khalistan extremist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.