India has accused Canada of hypocrisy on free speech after Canada blocked an Australian media outlet that aired an interview with Jaishankar, amid rising tensions and accusations over foreign affairs.
India has reacted strongly to reports that Canadian authorities blocked the social media page of Australian news outlet Australia Today after it aired a press conference hosted by Indian Foreign Minister S Jaishankar and Australian Foreign Minister Wong Yin Yin and an interview with the Australian Foreign Minister. Interview with Penny Wang. India said the move clearly reflected Canada’s double standards on freedom of expression.
Jaishankar’s visit to Australia ended on Thursday, during which he met Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and co-chaired the 15th Foreign Ministers’ Framework Dialogue with Wong Ying-hsien. The visit is aimed at strengthening ties between India and Australia, especially in the areas of diplomacy and regional security.
When asked about Australia Today’s social media accounts being blocked in Canada, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal expressed India’s disappointment and noted that sharing the news about Jaishankar Within hours of the presentation, the pages became inaccessible to Canadian viewers. Jaiswal stressed that Australia Today was a respected platform among the Indian diaspora and said Canada’s decision to block the site showed a lack of consistency in its stance on free speech.
Jaiswal noted that Australia Today also published an interview with Jaishankar and several articles about his recent visit, adding: “We were surprised. It seemed strange to us. But these actions again Highlighting Canada’s hypocrisy on freedom of expression, Jaiswal went on to identify three key topics that Jaishankar touched upon during his interactions with the media in Australia, including Canada’s frequent unsubstantiated accusations, surveillance of Indian diplomats in Canada, and Canada’s Providing political space for anti-India groups. These comments are seen as a potential reason for the Australian news channel’s social media being blocked in Canada.
Tensions between India and Canada continue. Last week, India reported that the Canadian government informed some of its consular officials that they were subject to audio and video surveillance. India condemned the act as a “blatant violation” of diplomatic norms and lodged a protest with Canada, which it criticized as harassment.
Additionally, India had to cancel some consular camps in Toronto due to lack of security assurances from Canadian authorities. The development follows an attack on a Hindu temple in Brampton on November 3, where a consular camp was housed. Prime Minister Narendra Modi publicly condemned the attack, calling it a cowardly attempt to intimidate Indian diplomats in Canada.
Relations between India and Canada have further deteriorated since last year after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made unsubstantiated claims that Indian agents were involved in the killing of Khalistani activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. India has repeatedly denied the accusation and asked Canada to provide evidence to substantiate its claims. The situation worsened last month when Canada named the Indian High Commissioner as a “person of interest” in connection with Nijar’s death. India dismissed the accusation as “ridiculous” and retaliated by recalling its high commissioner and expelling six Canadian officials from India.
The ongoing diplomatic tension highlights growing tensions between the two countries, which have been fueled by accusations, counterclaims and growing distrust that show few signs of easing.
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