India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has fired back at reports of rising Khalistani threats against Indian diplomatic missions in Canada, especially the consulate in Vancouver. On Friday, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stressed that it’s Canada’s job to beef up security for these sites.
“We raise concerns with the host government whenever needed, and in this case, we expect Canada to ensure proper protection for our diplomatic premises,” Jaiswal said during his weekly briefing in New Delhi. This comes amid growing worries over safety for Indian consulates in Canada.
The statement followed high-level talks between the National Security Advisors (NSAs) of India and Canada on Thursday. These discussions are part of routine bilateral security meetings between the two nations. Jaiswal noted it was a chance to build on the positive chat between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Canadian PM Mark Carney on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Kananaskis, Alberta, back in June.
That Modi-Carney meeting aimed to mend strained India-Canada ties. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri called the talks “very positive and constructive.” As a first step, both leaders agreed to quickly reinstate High Commissioners in each other’s capitals. They also committed to restarting senior-level talks on trade, people-to-people links, and connectivity to boost bilateral relations.
Just last month, India named Dinesh K Patnaik—previously Ambassador to Spain—as the new High Commissioner to Canada. This move happened over 10 months after New Delhi pulled back its previous envoy, Sanjay Kumar Verma, in October 2023. India cited the hostile environment under then-PM Justin Trudeau, marked by extremism and anti-India sentiments.
The big fallout started when Trudeau accused India of involvement in the killing of Khalistani figure Hardeep Singh Nijjar, based on what he called “credible allegations.” Canada even named India’s High Commissioner and diplomats as “persons of interest” in the probe, sparking a major diplomatic row.
India rejected the claims as “absurd and motivated,” slamming Canada for sheltering extremists and anti-India groups. With these recent steps, both countries seem keen to move past the tensions and strengthen ties.
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