India Accuses Canada of Surveillance Violation

Aakhir Tak – In Shorts

• India has accused Canada of ‘harassment and intimidation’ through audio and video surveillance of Indian officials.
• Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated that this is a violation of diplomatic protocols.
• India has formally protested to Canada over this issue.

Aakhir Tak – In Depth

The diplomatic standoff between India and Canada has intensified. On Saturday, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told reporters in Delhi that Canadian authorities recently informed Indian consular staff that they were under audio and video surveillance. This included interception of their communications. Jaiswal said, “We have formally lodged a protest with the Canadian government as these actions violate relevant diplomatic and consular conventions.”

Jaiswal added that citing technical reasons cannot justify such actions by the Canadian government. He highlighted that Indian diplomats are already operating in an environment fraught with extremism and violence.

This dispute originated after the September 2023 killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, following which the Canadian government declared Indian diplomats in Ottawa as ‘persons of interest’ in the investigation. Subsequently, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused Indian agents of involvement in the murder, which the Indian government strongly denied.

In response to these allegations, India recalled its High Commissioner and other diplomats from Ottawa. The Canadian government then expelled six Indian diplomats, prompting a reciprocal response from India. Since then, the two countries have exchanged sharp accusations, with no signs of the tension easing.

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