Jaishankar Warns Canada over strained ties, Canadian High Commissioner
Dated : 05 Dec 2020 (IST)
Thousands of farmers from Punjab, Haryana and few other states have been protesting for last nine days at the borders of Delhi against three farm laws passed by the Parliament of India. In a healthy democracy, such protests are permitted as long as it does not impinge on rights of others.
Accordingly, as part of the democratic process, the farmers and the government are holding talks on the matter.
However the politically motivated Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau, without having an iota of knowledge regarding the issue has backed the agitating farmers in India. He said that Canada will always be there to defend the rights of peaceful protests, and expressed concern over the situation.
For a similar type of monkeying over the Huei issue, Canada had received a solid whack from China, then even the USA could not do any thing to save the whimpering Canadian Government. Now it wants to receive a similar kind of treatment from India.
Naturally, the Ministry of External Affairs summoned the Canadian high commissioner and said that the comments made by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and some other Cabinet ministers and Parliament members on the issues relating to Indian farmers constitute an unacceptable interference in India’s internal matters. In the press release that the ministry issued on its demarche to the Canadian envoy, it specifically mentioned the name of Justin Trudeau.
“Such actions, if continued, would have a seriously damaging impact on ties between India and Canada,” the MEA said.
“The comments have encouraged gatherings of extremist activities in front of our High Commission and Consulates in Canada that raise issues of safety and security,” the ministry said.
The ministry also said it expected the Canadian government to ensure the fullest security of Indian diplomatic personnel and its political leaders. It also expects Canadian political leaders to refrain from pronouncements that legitimise extremist activism.
As farmers are protesting the three recently passed agricultural laws which they fear will harm their interests in more than one way, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Tuesday expressed his concerns, a move many believe was aimed at Canada’s Indian-origin diaspora.
Participating in a Facebook video interaction organised by Canadian MP Bardish Chagger to mark Guruparb or the 551st birth anniversary of Guru Nanak, Trudeau said he must recognise the “news coming out of India about the protest by farmers”. “The situation is concerning and we are all very worries about family and friends,” Trudeau said.
The external affairs ministry termed Trudeau’s comments as “unwarranted”. “It is also best that diplomatic conversations are not misrepresented for political purposes,” external affairs ministry spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said on Tuesday.
Trudeau, backing the agitating farmers in India, had said that Canada will always be there to defend the rights of peaceful protests, and expressed concern over the situation
India on Friday summoned the Canadian High Commissioner and conveyed to him that the comments made by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and some other leaders there on the farmers’ agitation constituted an “unacceptable interference” in the country’s internal affairs.
The Canadian diplomat was also told that such actions, if continued, would have a “seriously damaging” impact on the bilateral ties, the external affairs ministry said.
“The Canadian High Commissioner was summoned to the Ministry of External Affairs today and informed that comments by the Canadian Prime Minister, some Cabinet Ministers and members of Parliament on issues relating to Indian farmers constitute an unacceptable interference in our internal affairs,” the MEA said, adding a demarche was made to the envoy.
The MEA said these comments by the Canadian leaders have encouraged “gatherings of extremist activities” in front of the Indian High Commission and Consulates in Canada, raising issues of safety and security.
“We expect the Canadian government to ensure the fullest security of Indian diplomatic personnel and its political leaders to refrain from pronouncements that legitimize extremist activism,” the MEA said.
Canada’s Indian-origin Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan a known radical supporter too had expressed concerns over reports of the “peaceful protesters being brutalised in India”.
The uninfirmed Minister has said that reports of peaceful protesters being brutalized in India are very troubling. He said that many of my constituents have family there and are worried about the safety of their loved ones.
Well the Canadian Government should know that Indians too are worried about the plight of Red Indians and Eskimos, the original canadians whose plight now have to be highlighted to the whole world.
