Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar raised concerns over Sikh extremism in Canada during talks with Australian FM Penny Wong in New Delhi on Tuesday.
“I think Australia has a good, close and strong relationship with both of us. I felt it was important that Australia get our perspective on the issue,” Jaishankar told a media briefing in New Delhi after India-Australia Foreign Ministers Framework Dialogue.
“From our point of view, the K-issue is really about the space being given to extremism and radicalism in Canada,” he underlined.
Both Canada and Australia are part of the Five Eyes (FVEY) intelligence-sharing network which also comprises Canada, New Zealand and the US.
Both Canada and Australia are part of the Five Eyes (FVEY) intelligence-sharing network which also comprises Canada, New Zealand and the US.
For her part, Wong stated that she “pointed to her previous comments on the matter”.
Wong said that Australia’s position on the India-Canada row had been spelled out on several occasions in the past.
“Look, these are concerning reports and I note that investigations are still underway. As I've said, we are monitoring these developments closely with our partners and we'll continue to do so. Australia has raised these issues with our Indian counterparts,” Wong said back then.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has linked the killing of a Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a pro-Khalistan extremist and a designated terrorist in India, to the Indian government “agents”.
New Delhi has denied the charges and has asked Ottawa to provide evidence which Canadian authorities haven’t shared with India till date.
The row triggered by Trudeau has escalated into a major diplomatic row, with New Delhi last month asking 41 Canadian diplomats in India to leave the country over alleged interference in India’s internal matters and for the sake of “diplomatic parity”.