Close X
Thursday, November 28, 2024
ADVT 
National

Canada spat leads India newspapers as trade minister works to reassure business

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 15 Oct, 2024 10:00 AM
  • Canada spat leads India newspapers as trade minister works to reassure business

As Canada's decision to expel New Delhi's top envoy and five other diplomats makes front page news in India, International Trade Minister Mary Ng is trying to reassure Canadian businesses with ties to the country.

On Monday, the RCMP warned the public about a rash of crimes including murder, extortion and coercion that the force links to Indian government agents. The allegations sparked diplomatic retaliation; after Canada declared six Indian diplomats persona non grata, India ordered six Canadian envoys out of the country by Saturday.

Ng issued a statement acknowledging the "uncertainty" that Canadian businesses and investors may have as a result, and said the government will continue to support commercial and economic ties between the countries.

"However, we must consider our economic interests with the need to protect Canadians and uphold the rule of law," she said. "We will not tolerate any foreign government threatening, extorting or harming Canadian citizens on our soil."

Ng said the government remains "open to a dialogue" with India and looks forward to continuing a "valued relationship."

The RCMP and other Canadian officials presented evidence to India earlier this past weekend, but they say New Delhi refused to co-operate in police investigations.

Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly said that is why Canada declared the six diplomats persona non grata, which is one of the stiffest penalties Canada can impose under the Vienna Convention.

India insists it has not been given evidence of any government involvement in crimes in Canada, and it has ordered six Canadian diplomats to leave.

Vina Nadjibulla, research vice-president for the Asia Pacific Foundation, said she's watching to see how Canada's peers respond to the "unprecedented, extraordinary" news.

That could mean diplomatic moves behind the scenes, and possibly public statements of support for Canada.

"The reaction from the U.S. is going to be the one that everybody will be paying attention to," she said.

"In order for Canada, at this stage, to have any kind of co-operation from India and seek accountability for what has happened, we would need India to feel some pressure; we would need India to feel some reason to co-operate."

Nadjibulla said it was notable that Joly accused active diplomats of involvement in criminality, and that she said violence linked to the Indian government had only increased since Canada made its concerns public last year.

In September 2023, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that Canadian intelligence services were investigating "credible" information about "a potential link" between India's government and the killing of Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia.

Nadjibulla said Ottawa has now "very clearly and assertively" made its case, in sending senior officials this past weekend to present evidence to Indian counterparts. 

"Canada did what it thought was necessary," she said. "We are in uncharted territory, with implications for the diplomatic relationship as well as for Canada's public safety and national security."

Nadjibulla also said it's rare for diplomats to be expelled over accusations of criminality. "We're not dealing here with a rogue state; we're dealing here with a very important international player," she said.

MORE National ARTICLES

One dead in Merritt rollover crash

One dead in Merritt rollover crash
Police in B-C say one person is dead and four others are injured following a serious single-vehicle rollover near Merritt. R-C-M-P say they were called to the scene at around 3:50 p.m. Saturday after receiving a report of a serious vehicle incident on Highway 5 north of Juliet Road. 

One dead in Merritt rollover crash

Police car stolen at Vancouver park

Police car stolen at Vancouver park
A man with a lengthy criminal record is back in custody after allegedly stealing a police car at a Vancouver park yesterday morning. Vancouver police say the car was allegedly stolen around 10:45 a.m. after officers were flagged down to help a woman in distress in East Vancouver. 

Police car stolen at Vancouver park

Nuremberg and Nazi comparisons to COVID-19 measures 'unacceptable': Rustad

Nuremberg and Nazi comparisons to COVID-19 measures 'unacceptable': Rustad
That's after video surfaced of Rustad saying his party would "certainly be participating with other jurisdictions" after being asked at an online meeting in July about where he stood on "Nuremberg 2.0," which is the idea that people behind public health measures during the pandemic should be put on trial.

Nuremberg and Nazi comparisons to COVID-19 measures 'unacceptable': Rustad

Year long trafficking investigation leads to 1 arrest and seizure of 23 kgs of illicit drugs

Year long trafficking investigation leads to 1 arrest and seizure of 23 kgs of illicit drugs
Surrey RCMP say a more than a year long drug trafficking investigation has led to one arrest and the seizure of 23-kilograms of M-D-M-A, a quantity of fentanyl and other illicit drugs. They say the probe targeted a network that allegedly supplied bulk amounts of illicit drugs to traffickers in several Greater Vancouver cities.

Year long trafficking investigation leads to 1 arrest and seizure of 23 kgs of illicit drugs

Vancouver police boost presence at protests, schools for Oct. 7 anniversary

Vancouver police boost presence at protests, schools for Oct. 7 anniversary
Vancouver Police Chief Const. Adam Palmer says planned and unplanned protests across the city are posing a "significant" risk of disorder, and officers trained specifically for large-scale events will be deployed. In addition, Palmer says tactical response and uniformed officers will be placed at "key locations" in consultation with leaders of both the Jewish and Muslim communities.

Vancouver police boost presence at protests, schools for Oct. 7 anniversary

Eby defends B.C.'s speculation tax increase, says it will create more needed rentals

Eby defends B.C.'s speculation tax increase, says it will create more needed rentals
New Democrat Leader David Eby is defending plans to increase British Columbia's speculation tax on empty homes because he says it works. He says the tax saw 20,000 vacant homes in Metro Vancouver rented out since its introduction in 2017 and he expects more rental opportunities will result from the increase.

Eby defends B.C.'s speculation tax increase, says it will create more needed rentals