India Protests Canadian Surveillance of Consular Officials
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) of India has formally protested against the Canadian government after discovering that Indian consular officials in Canada were under audio and video surveillance. MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal condemned these actions as violations of diplomatic conventions. He criticized Canada for justifying its actions with technicalities, calling it harassment and intimidation of Indian diplomatic personnel.
Jaiswal highlighted the challenging environment of extremism and violence in which the Indian officials operate, stating that Canada’s actions worsen the situation and violate diplomatic norms. He also mentioned Canada’s recent classification of India as a “cyber adversary” alongside countries like Russia and China, viewing it as an attempt to attack India.
Tensions between India and Canada have been high since Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged India’s involvement in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, which India has denied, accusing Canada of harboring anti-India elements.
Doubts Revealed
Ministry of External Affairs -: The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) is a part of the Indian government that handles India’s relations with other countries. They work on things like trade, travel, and international cooperation.
Consular Officials -: Consular officials are people who work for a country’s government in another country. They help their citizens with things like passports, visas, and emergencies when they are abroad.
Diplomatic Conventions -: Diplomatic conventions are rules and agreements that countries follow to ensure their representatives are treated fairly and respectfully in other countries. These rules help maintain good relations between nations.
Cyber Adversary -: A cyber adversary is a country or group that is seen as a threat in the digital world, often because they might try to hack or disrupt computer systems. In this context, Canada is accusing India of being a threat in cyberspace.
Terrorist’s Death -: This refers to an incident where a person labeled as a terrorist died, and there are allegations that India was involved. India denies these claims, and it has caused tension between India and Canada.