India

India Calls Out Canada’s ‘Hypocrisy’ For Blocking Australian Media Outlet After Jaishankar Interview

By
OB Bureau

New Delhi: Bilateral relations having hit an all-time low since Justin Trudeau’s accusation of Indian involvement in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada, the two administrations are not missing an opportunity to be critical of one another.

India on Thursday called out Canada’s “hypocrisy towards freedom of speech” after Trudeau’s government banned a leading Australian media outlet hours after it broadcast a press conference of External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s meeting with his Australian counterpart Penny Wong.

Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said Canada blocked Australia Today, as is evident from its content and social media pages being no longer accessible to Canadian users.

“We understand that the social media handles and pages of this particular outlet, which is an important diaspora outlet, have been blocked and are no longer available for viewers in Canada. This happened just a few hours after this outlet carried a press conference of the External Affairs Minister along with Penny Wong. The outlet also published several articles on the visit of the External Affairs Minister, as well as an interview with him. We were surprised,” Jaiswal told reporters.

“It looks strange to us. But nonetheless, what I will say that these are actions which yet again highlight the hypocrisy of Canada towards freedom of speech. You would have seen that EAM in his media engagements, spoke about three things,” Jaiswal added.

“One was Canada making allegations and a pattern has developed without any specific evidence. The second thing he highlighted was surveillance of Indian diplomats in Canada, which he termed as unacceptable. The third thing which he highlighted was the political space which has been given in Canada to anti-India elements. So you can draw your conclusions from that, why the Australia Today channel was blocked by Canada,” Jaiswal pointed out.

Last week, Khalistani separatists attacked a Hindu temple at Canada’s Brampton, which was strongly condemned by India. Jaishankar called the attack “deeply concerning”, while Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged Canadian government to ensure justice and uphold the rule of law after the “cowardly attack.”

OB Bureau

Recent Posts

New Artist To Play King Kansa Role During Dhanu Yatra In Odisha’s Bargarh

Bargarh: A new artist will be selected to play the mythological character King Kansa during…

November 22, 2024

Shah Rukh’s Daughter Suhana Khan Brutally Trolled For Vivo Ad [Watch]

Mumbai: Suhana Khan will be making her Bollywood debut with ‘King’ along with her superstar…

November 22, 2024

Badshah Comes Out In Support Of Diljit Dosanjh In Alcohol Controversy

New Delhi: After Diljit Dosanjh called out the double standards of Telangana government for banning…

November 22, 2024

World War 3 Has Begun, Says Ukraine’s Former Military Chief

New Delhi: Recent actions and counter-actions in the Russia-Ukraine conflict have pushed the world to the…

November 22, 2024

3 Arrested With Fake IPS Officers’ Uniforms, Identity Cards In Odisha’s Balangir

Balangir: Three persons were arrested and fake IPS officers’ uniforms along with fake identity cards…

November 22, 2024

‘I Want To Talk’: Twitterati Lauds Abhishek Bachchan, Say He Is Better Than Amitabh

Mumbai: Abhishek Bachchan’s highly-anticipated film ‘I Want To Talk’ released in theatres on Friday, and the…

November 22, 2024

Cash-For-Vote Row: BJP Leader’s Defamation Notice Against Rahul Gandhi, Kharge

New Delhi: Accused of giving cash to secure votes ahead of election day in Maharashtra,…

November 22, 2024

CM Mohan Majhi Attends ‘Odisha State Day’ Celebrations At IITF In Delhi

Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi attended the ‘Odisha State Day Celebrations’ at the 43rd…

November 22, 2024