EAM Jaishankar Highlights Canada's 'Hypocrisy' Amid Diplomatic Showdown | Details

As Canada continues to lay out charges against India, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has highlighted the "hypocrisy" in the way Indian diplomats and diplomats from other countries are treated.

Speaking at the NDTV World Summit, Jaishankar spoke on the ongoing diplomatic row with Canada. The row escalated after High Commissioner Sanjay Kumar Verma was named as a "person of interest" in the probe into the killing of Khalistan separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

Following this charge, India and Canada officially downgraded their ties by expelling diplomats from both sides.

Speaking at the summit, the external affairs minister called out Canada's "double standards" when it comes to collecting information in foreign nations and other activities by diplomats.

"They (Canada) seem to have a problem if Indian diplomats are even trying to make efforts to find out what is happening in Canada on matters which directly pertain to their welfare and security. But look what happens in India. Canadian diplomats have no problem going around collecting information on our military, police, profiling people, targeting people to be stopped in Canada. So apparently, the licence that they give themselves is totally different from the kind of restrictions that they impose on diplomats in Canada," said Jaishankar.

Over the past decades, India has raised its concerns regarding anti-India elements and the threats issued by Khalistan supporters. However, Canada has yet to take action against such elements.

"When we tell them you have people openly threatening leaders of India, diplomats of India, their answer is freedom of speech. When Indian journalists make social media comments, if you threaten the Indian High Commissioner, he is supposed to accept it as freedom of speech. But if an Indian journalist says the Canadian High Commissioner walked out of South Block looking very grumpy, it is apparently foreign interference," the EAM added.

A similar sentiment was highlighted by High Commissioner Verma in an interview with CTV News. During this, the senior diplomat called out western hypocrisy when it comes to foreign diplomatic missions.

Since the escalation of the diplomatic showdown, Indian diplomats and journalists in Canada have been put on alert.