(Ottawa) Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre accuses Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of being responsible for the diplomatic chill with India, saying Ottawa needs a “professional relationship” with the government of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
At the same time, Mr. Modi’s government says it is angry with the federal Liberals and not with Canada as a whole.
Mr. Trudeau announced in the House of Commons last month that Canadian intelligence services were investigating “credible” information about “a possible link” between the Indian government and the assassination of Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia .
“It’s okay to have our disagreements and hold each other accountable, but we need to have a professional relationship… with the Indian government,” Mr. Poilievre said on Namaste Radio Toronto in a video posted online Saturday afternoon.
Mr. Poilievre also blamed Mr. Trudeau for “the aggressiveness shown towards Indian diplomats during public events.”
Earlier this year, before Mr. Trudeau’s revelation about the Nijjar affair, India deplored noisy protests by Sikh separatist groups outside diplomatic missions in Canada and posters offering cash rewards for the addresses of Indian diplomats .
New Delhi officially called on Canada to better respect its duty to protect foreign diplomats, and in late August, Indian High Commissioner to Canada Sanjay Kumar Verma said his country was “very pleased” that the Liberal government reacted appropriately and that its diplomats are secure.
Mr. Poilievre claims in the interview that Justin Trudeau is pitting Canadians against each other, citing vandalism to Hindu places of worship.
“I strongly condemn all threats of attacks on mandirs [temples] Hindus, threats against Hindu leaders,” Mr. Poilievre said on Namaste Radio Toronto.
“Criminal charges should be brought against anyone who attacks property or people in Hindu mandirs, as elsewhere. »
Mr. Poilievre did not cite a specific example, but he mentioned a month ago on
In the interview, Mr. Poilievre did not mention the Nijjar case, nor did the interviewer ask about it. Mr. Poilievre previously said those responsible for the homicide must be prosecuted and urged Mr. Trudeau to provide more information about the case.
“Justin Trudeau is considered a laughing stock in India, the largest democracy in the world,” Mr. Poilievre said during his interview.
His office declined to comment on the interview Monday.
Security and freedom of expression
Also last weekend, Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar argued that his country could end the freeze on Canadian visas if Canada better guaranteed the security of Indian diplomats.
“We stopped issuing visas to Canada because it was no longer safe for our diplomats to go to work to issue visas,” Mr. Jaishankar explained on Sunday, despite contrary statements from his own envoy in Ottawa.
“Our diplomats are not safe. If we see progress in this area, I would very much like to resume issuing visas. I hope this happens very, very soon. »
Mr. Jaishankar also claimed that New Delhi’s decision to reduce Canada’s diplomatic presence in India – resulting in the majority of the country withdrawing – was the result of unspecified interference by Canada in India.
“We invoked parity because we were concerned about continued interference in our affairs by Canadian personnel,” he said.
“We haven’t talked much about it to the public. I have a feeling that with time, more things will come out and people will understand why we felt this discomfort with many of them. »
India’s envoy to Canada said on August 31 that “we are very satisfied” with Ottawa’s response to a request for improved protection. “Our concerns have been taken into account. They have been well understood,” said High Commissioner Sanjay Kumar Verma.
Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly revealed on September 14 that Indian diplomats in Canada “benefit from 24/7 security,” a service that Ottawa offers to very few diplomatic missions.
Mr. Jaishankar also said on Sunday that he disagreed with the federal Liberals. “The problems we have relate to a certain segment of Canadian politics and the policies that flow from it,” he said.
Vina Nadjibulla, a professor at the University of British Columbia, noted that this was the first time India had explicitly indicated that its problems with Canada fell along political lines.
“It’s quite surprising that a foreign minister like Mr. Jaishankar would say this… essentially pointing the finger at the Liberal government and the prime minister himself,” she argued.
Mme Nadjibulla described seeing “disturbing” posters in Surrey, British Columbia, calling for violence against Indian government officials.
“The challenge facing countries with large diasporas of Sikh communities is obviously to protect freedoms of expression and freedom of assembly, but also to recognize that there is serious concern for India on this issue , she said. We need to involve both sides. »