Responding strongly to reports of social media handles and pages of an Australian news outlet being blocked in Canada hours after it carried a press conference of External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong as well as an interview of the Indian minister, India has said such actions highlight Canada’s hypocrisy towards freedom of speech. 

During his Australia visit, which ends on Thursday, Mr Jaishankar met Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and also co-chaired the 15th Foreign Ministers’ Framework Dialogue with Ms Wong. 

Asked about the social media handles of Australia Today being blocked in Canada, Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on Thursday, “We understand that social media handles and pages of this outlet, which is an important diaspora outlet, have been blocked and are not available for viewers in Canada. This happened a few hours after this particular handle carried the press conference of the External Affairs Minister with Penny Wong.”

Stating that the outlet had carried an interview with Mr Jaishankar as well as several articles on his visit, Mr Jaiswal added, “We were surprised. It looks strange to us. But, nonetheless, these are actions that yet again highlight the hypocrisy of Canada towards freedom of speech. In his media interactions, the External Affairs Minister spoke about three things: a pattern of Canada making allegations without evidence, the surveillance of Indian diplomats – which he termed unacceptable – and the political space being given in Canada to anti-India elements. So you can draw your conclusions from that on why the Australia Today channel was blocked.”

Last week, India had said some of its consular officials were informed by the Canadian government that they have been under audio and video surveillance. Terming the action a “flagrant violation” of diplomatic conventions, India had said Canada could not hide behind technicalities to justify its harassment and intimidation and that a protest had been lodged with the Canadian government. 

Mr Jaiswal also confirmed that some consular camps have been cancelled in Toronto because they did not get security assurance from Canada. The announcement came days after the attack on a Hindu temple in Brampton, where a consular camp was being held, on November 3. PM Narendra Modi had also condemned the attack and criticised “cowardly attempts” to intimidate Indian diplomats in Canada. 
 
Ties between India and Canada have been strained since Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau claimed – without offering any evidence – last year that “Indian agents” were involved in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. The allegation has been rubbished by New Delhi several times and it has asked Canada to produce evidence to back up the claim.

The relationship hit a new low last month when the Indian High Commissioner was termed a “person of interest” in the killing. India dismissed the fresh charge as “ludicrous” and withdrew the High Commissioner and some diplomats while expelling six Canadian officials, including Canada’s acting High Commissioner Stewart Ross Wheeler.