India protests Canadian surveillance of diplomats, calls it 'flagrant violation' of diplomatic norms (WATCH)

The Indian government has lodged a formal protest with Canada over the surveillance of its diplomats in the country, amidst escalating diplomatic tensions.

Sunita Iyer

First Published Nov 2, 2024, 4:41 PM IST | Last Updated Nov 2, 2024, 4:41 PM IST

The Indian government has lodged a formal protest with Canada over the surveillance of its diplomats in the country, amidst escalating diplomatic tensions. In a statement, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal confirmed that some Indian consular officials were informed by the Canadian government that they were under audio and video surveillance, with their communications also being intercepted.

"Some of our consular officials were recently informed by the Canadian government that they have been and continue to be under audio and video surveillance. Their communications have also been intercepted. We have formally protested to the Canadian government, as we consider these actions a flagrant violation of relevant diplomatic and consular conventions," the MEA spokesperson said in a press briefing on Saturday.

Also read: India warns Canada of 'serious consequences' after 'irresponsible' allegations against Amit Shah (WATCH)

"Citing technicalities, the Canadian government cannot justify its harassment and intimidation. Our diplomatic and consular personnel are already operating in an environment of extremism and violence. This action by the Canadian government aggravates the situation and is incompatible with established diplomatic norms and practices," Jaiswal added.

The MEA's revelation came even as the Indian government lodged a strong protest against Canada following one of its minister's allegations against Home Minister Amit Shah. The remarks followed allegations made by Canada's Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister, David Morrison, who stated on Tuesday that Shah had initiated a campaign of violence, intimidation, and intelligence-gathering against Sikh separatists in Canada.

Morrison also revealed to members of the Canadian Parliament's national security committee that he had confirmed Shah's name to The Washington Post, which was the first to report on these allegations.

MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated that the recent revelation regarding high-ranking Canadian officials deliberately leaking unfounded insinuations to international media as part of a strategy to discredit India confirms the Indian government's longstanding concerns about the current Canadian government's political agenda and behaviour.

During a weekly press briefing, Jaiswal noted that such irresponsible actions could have serious consequences for bilateral relations. He mentioned that India summoned a representative from the Canadian High Commission on Friday, where a diplomatic note was delivered to formally protest the "absurd and baseless" claims made by the Canadian deputy minister regarding India's Union Home Minister.

Also read: Canada's latest accusation: India using cyber tech to track Khalistanis, launch cyberattacks (WATCH)

While addressing Parliament, Morrison did not clarify how Canada came to know of Shah's alleged involvement. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had previously stated that Canada had credible evidence linking agents of the Indian government to the murder of Canadian Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia in June 2023. However, Indian officials have consistently dismissed these allegations as absurd, asserting that Canada has not provided any evidence to support its claims.

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