NEW DELHI: India on Thursday sharply rebuked Canada for letting Khalistani separatists use its space, saying it is not good for them or for bilateral relations.
Responding to questions on a tableau Khalistani activists took out on Wednesday in Brampton glorifying the assassination of the then prime minister Indira Gandhi, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said, “It is not just one incident as the larger underlying issue is that they give space to those who advocate violence. Besides vote bank politics why would anybody do this?” “It’s is neither good for Canada nor its relationship with India,’’ Jaishankar said.
He also was appalled at Canada’s National Security Advisor complaining that India interferes in Canada’s domestic affairs. “This comment reminds me of the phrase in Hindi, Ulta Chor Kotwal ko Dantey (accused reprimanding the victim),’’ he quipped.
Regarding the fate of about 700 Indian students who face possible deportation for allegedly having fake documents, the minister said the students should not be sent back if they aren’t at fault. “For some time now there is this case of Indian students who the Canadian authorities have alleged did not study in the colleges that they had claimed to have graduated from."
"Our foreign ministry and High Commission and Consulates in Canada have taken up their case. The people who mislead them are culpable and should be acted against. The students studied in good faith and it’s unfair to punish them,” Jaishankar told this paper.
For his part, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau assured the Indian students that his government will evaluate each case of the protesting students. “We are deeply aware of the cases of international students facing removal orders over fraudulent college acceptance letters. To be clear, our focus is on identifying the culprits, not penalising the victims,’’ said Trudeau.