Canada has just banned Australia Today, a news outlet that’s especially popular with the Indian community in Australia. And the timing is hard to ignore. Just hours before this ban, Australia Today had aired a press conference by India’s External Affairs Minister, S. Jaishankar, during his visit to Australia. In the press conference, Jaishankar addressed the ongoing diplomatic tension between India and Canada, as well as the rise of Khalistani extremism in Canada—a topic that’s been causing a lot of friction lately.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs seemed pretty surprised by Canada’s move. They pointed out that it seems like a strange decision for a country that prides itself on freedom of speech. According to Randhir Jaiswal, a spokesperson from the Ministry, it was odd that Canada would block a major diaspora outlet like Australia Today, especially right after they aired Jaishankar’s comments.
Let’s break down what was said at that press conference and why it’s causing such a stir. Jaishankar, speaking alongside Australia’s Foreign Minister Penny Wong, highlighted three main issues that India has with Canada right now.
First, he pointed out that Canada has made a habit of accusing India of things without presenting any real evidence. You may remember when Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau suggested that Indian agents were involved in the killing of Khalistani activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. India strongly rejected that claim, calling it baseless. But Canada kept pushing, and now it’s led to a lot of tension between the two countries.
Second, Jaishankar mentioned that Indian diplomats are being surveilled in Canada, which India finds unacceptable. Imagine if you’re representing your country abroad, and you have to worry about being monitored—it’s bound to strain relations.
Third, he addressed the issue of political space in Canada, saying there’s been too much leeway given to anti-India groups. In particular, he’s talking about Khalistani extremists who’ve found a bit of a platform in Canada. And it’s not just talk; these tensions have led to real, concerning incidents. Recently, there was even an attack on a Hindu temple in Brampton by pro-Khalistan supporters, something that India’s government condemned strongly.
So why would Canada block Australia Today? India seems to believe it’s because the outlet aired Jaishankar’s critical remarks about Canada’s handling of these issues. From India’s perspective, it’s hypocritical for Canada to crack down on media freedom while talking up its commitment to free speech.
This whole diplomatic standoff has been brewing for a while now. Tensions really kicked off when Trudeau brought up that Nijjar accusation last year, and it escalated when Canada even labeled the Indian High Commissioner as a “person of interest” in their investigation. India responded by expelling some Canadian diplomats, and it’s been back-and-forth ever since.
Overall, it’s a complicated, tense situation. Canada and India are usually pretty friendly countries, so it’s unusual to see this kind of conflict. But between Canada’s handling of the Khalistani movement and India’s strong reaction, it looks like this is far from over.