S Jaishankar, India’s External Affairs Minister, has spoken in support of the Sikh community in Canada, stating that extremist elements are only a small minority and do not represent the entire community. Responding to concerns about the ‘Khalistan’ issue, Jaishankar emphasized that the views expressed by some individuals do not reflect the sentiments of the entire Sikh community. During a press conference in Washington DC, he highlighted the attention that the Modi government has given to addressing the issues faced by the Sikh community over the past decade. Jaishankar emphasized that discussions surrounding terrorism and separatism should not be regarded as representative of the entire Sikh community.
Regarding the ongoing problem between India and Canada, Jaishankar attributed it to the permissiveness of the Canadian government towards terrorism, extremism, and violence. He noted that the problem has persisted for several years, with the Canadian government failing to respond to important extradition requests and allowing individuals and organizations involved in violence and illegal activities in India to operate freely.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau recently made allegations against the Indian government regarding the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. India has categorically denied these claims, calling them absurd and motivated. However, Canada has not provided any public evidence to support these allegations. In response to Trudeau’s accusations, India has suspended its visa services in Canada. Furthermore, India has issued an advisory to its citizens, urging them to exercise caution due to growing anti-India activities and politically-condoned hate crimes and violence in Canada.
(Note: This article is published from a syndicated feed and has not been edited by NDTV staff, except for the headline.)