India on surveillance of officials in Canada

New Delhi:

As its ties with Canada continued to remain at an all-time low, India on Saturday said some of its consular officials had been informed by the Canadian government that they were under audio and video surveillance, calling the action a “gross violation” of diplomatic conventions. .

Arguing that Canada cannot hide behind technology to justify its harassment and intimidation, India said it has lodged a protest with the Canadian government.

Speaking at a briefing on Saturday, Foreign Office spokesman Randhir Jaiswal said: “Some of our consular staff have recently been informed by the Canadian government that they have been and continue to be under audio and video surveillance. Their communication was also intercepted. We have expressed an official protest to the Canadian government, as we consider these actions to be a gross violation of the relevant diplomatic and consular conventions.”

Pointing out that India’s diplomatic and consular staff already work in an environment of “extremism and violence”, Mr Jaiswal added: “On technicalities, the Canadian government cannot justify the fact that it is condoning harassment and intimidation… These actions by the Canadian government worsens the situation and is incompatible with established diplomatic norms and practices.”

During the briefing, Mr Jaiswal also said the Canadian diplomat had been summoned on Friday over claims by Canada’s Deputy Foreign Minister David Morrison that Home Affairs Minister Amit Shah had ordered an attack on Khalistan extremists in the country.

Stating that the diplomatic note was handed over to the Canadian High Commission, the spokesperson said, “The note conveyed that the Government of India strongly protested against the absurd and baseless references to Union Home. Minister of India before the Committee Deputy Minister David Morrison.

Citing reports that Canada has admitted that its officials leaked confidential information to the Washington Post, the external affairs ministry said such actions would have “serious consequences” for India-Canada ties.

“In fact, the discovery that senior Canadian officials are deliberately leaking baseless insinuations to the international media as part of a deliberate strategy to discredit India and influence other countries only reinforces the Indian government’s long-held view of the current Canadian government’s political agenda and such irresponsible behavior will have serious consequences consequences for bilateral relations,” he warned.

Ties between India and Canada have soured since Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said last year, without providing any evidence, that “Indian agents” were involved in the killing of Khalistan terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijar. New Delhi has repeatedly denied the allegation and asked Canada to provide evidence to support the claim.

Relations hit a new low earlier this month when India’s high commissioner was named a “person of interest” in the murder. India dismissed the new allegation as “preposterous” and recalled the high commissioner and some diplomats, as well as expelling six Canadian officials, including Canada’s acting high commissioner Stuart Ross Wheeler.