Canada denies India’s travel warning, claiming that it is a safe country; India warns of rising anti-Indian sentiment and hate crimes in Canada.
News from India and Canada: On Wednesday, the Canadian government rejected India’s travel warning, which advised its nationals to exercise caution when visiting Canada. “Canada is a safe country,” stated Dominic Leblanc, Canada’s public safety minister, as quoted by Reuters.
In an official statement, the Ministry of External Affairs stated, “In light of growing anti-India activities and politically sanctioned hate crimes and criminal violence in Canada, all Indian nationals there and those considering travel are urged to exercise extreme caution.”
“Recently, threats have been made to Indian diplomats and members of the Indian community who are opposed to the anti-India agenda.” “Indian nationals are therefore advised to avoid traveling to regions and potential venues in Canada where such incidents have occurred,” according to the notification.
“Threats have especially targeted Indian diplomats and sections of the Indian community who oppose the anti-India agenda,” the statement says..
The action comes just days after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau warned the country’s parliament that there were “credible allegations” linking India’s government to the June assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a prominent pro-Khalistan leader in Canada. Trudeau’s remarks sparked immediate outrage in India, which dismissed the allegations as “baseless” and “motivated.”
Major foreign powers have also weighed in on the debate. “All countries must uphold sovereignty and the rule of law.” “We are in regular contact with our Canadian partners regarding serious allegations raised in the Canadian Parliament,” British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said. Penny Wong, Australia’s Foreign Minister, adopted a similar tone, noting that an investigation was ongoing.
US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti urged close allies to help with the inquiry and demanded that anyone guilty be held accountable. Garcetti also stated that it was premature for the United States to consider playing a role in easing tensions between the two countries.
Prime Minister Trudeau also appeared to tone down his remarks.
“The Indian government must treat this matter with the utmost seriousness.” We’re doing that; we’re not aiming to provoke or escalate,” he told reporters.
