India has expressed its strong disapproval of the Canadian government’s decision to grant visas to individuals with connections to organized crime, despite receiving warnings from Indian authorities. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar leveled harsh criticism at the government led by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, accusing it of legitimizing “extremism, separatism, and advocates of violence” under the guise of free speech.
Jaishankar highlighted the existence of individuals in Canada with pro-Pakistan sympathies who have formed a politically powerful lobby. He expressed concern that these individuals have created a space for themselves within the country’s political landscape and that politicians are being misled into believing that pandering to them will garner community support.
The External Affairs Minister emphasized that Canada is currently India’s primary concern. He stated that the ruling party and other political entities in Canada have given “extremism, separatism, and advocates of violence” undue legitimacy under the pretense of free speech. Jaishankar criticized Canada’s response to Indian objections, stating that it is no longer a one-way street and that there will be reactions and countermeasures to actions taken abroad.
Jaishankar strongly condemned the Canadian government’s welcoming of individuals from India with organized crime connections, despite warnings from New Delhi. He pointed out that numerous gangland figures and individuals with organized crime ties from Punjab have been welcomed in Canada, despite India’s efforts to communicate their wanted criminal status. The minister emphasized that many of these individuals enter Canada using false documents and are permitted to reside there.
The relationship between the two nations is currently experiencing an unprecedented diplomatic crisis. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused Indian agents of assassinating pro-Khalistan Canadian figure Hardeep Singh Nijjar in June 2023. The Indian government, however, has vehemently denied the allegations, calling them “absurd” and “motivated.”
