External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday urged the United Nations member states to not allow “political convenience” to determine responses to terrorism, extremism and violence.
At the 78th United Nations General Assembly, he also asked the countries to not interfere in the internal matters of others.
The statements comes amid the deteriorating diplomatic ties between India and Canada. Ottawa alleged last week that the Indian government may be behind the killing of a Sikh separatist leader on Canadian soil.
The comments pertained to Hardeep Singh Nijjar, the chief of the Khalistan Tiger Force, who was shot dead in the parking lot of a gurdwara in Surrey near Vancouver on June 18. The Khalistan Tiger Force has been designated a terrorist outfit in India.
India quickly dismissed Ottawa’s claims as “motivated” and asked Canada to take legal action against “anti-Indian elements” operating from its soil instead. It also expelled a Canadian diplomat, in a tit-for-tat move after Canada expelled an official of the Indian foreign intelligence service.
On Tuesday, Jaishankar said that there can never be real trust without genuine solidarity. “... nor must we countenance that political convenience determines responses to terrorism, extremism and violence,” he said. “Similarly, respect for territorial integrity and non-interference in internal affairs cannot be exercises in cherry-picking.”
He added: “When reality departs from the rhetoric, we must have the courage to call it out.”
Travel advisory
Updating its travel advisory, Canada has warned its citizens about protests and “negative sentiments” towards the country on social media. “Please remain vigilant and exercise caution,” the advisory read.
India last week indefinitely suspended visa services in Canada citing security threats to its officials. New Delhi also said that Canada needed to look into its growing reputation as a “safe haven” to terrorists, extremists and those involved in organised crime.
On Saturday, United States Ambassador to Canada David Cohen had confirmed that information shared by members of an intelligence-sharing alliance had informed Trudeau of the Indian government’s possible involvement in the killing of Nijjar.
“There was shared intelligence among ‘Five Eyes’ partners that helped lead Canada to [make] the statements that the prime minister made,” Cohen told the news network in an interview.
The Five Eyes alliance consists of the US, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and Canada.
Also read:
- Why the United States has been forced to walk a fine line amidst India-Canada tensions
- India and its intelligence services should change the way they operate, says Justin Trudeau
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