HTLS 2023: ‘There is room for diplomacy, hope we find a way', says Jaishankar on Canada row

‘There is room for diplomacy, my hope is that we find a way’, said external affairs minister S Jaishankar on the diplomatic tensions with Canada at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit 2023 on Saturday.

“There are many countries there is freedom of speech and expression. But that cannot be a license to violent and intimidation or to propagate separatism and worse. the problem that we have faced, we have seen activities which have been justified in the name for freedom”, Jaishankar said in an interaction with Hindustan Times Editor-In-Chief R Sukumar.

“I have a very simple smell test for every country in the world. If you think that's right, would you like that to be done to you? And mostly I don't get an answer”, the minister added.

The tensions between India and Canada erupted in September after Ottawa expelled a senior Indian diplomat over its probe into the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in June.

Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau had claimed “credible allegations of a potential link” to the killing of Nijjar on June 18. While India rejected Trudeau's allegation, it also suspended the visa services for Canadians. Later it resumed visas in some categories last month.

Canada was also forced to withdraw 41 of its diplomats after reports emerged of them allegedly liasoning with political leadership in India. The diplomats were pulled out a day prior to the deadline set by New Delhi, failing which they were likely to lose their diplomatic immunity.

India had sought ‘parity’ in the strength of Canada's diplomatic presence by bringing down those stationed in the country from 62 to 21.
Trudeau had also slammed the move, calling it a violation of the ‘Vienna Convention governing diplomacy” and had said New Delhi’s actions will also impact “”millions of Canadians who trace their origins to the Indian subcontinent.”