Canada has banned Australia Today, a prominent Australian outlet, just hours after it aired a press conference of India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar in Australia. During the press conference, Jaishankar addressed the ongoing diplomatic tensions between India and Canada, specifically criticizing Canada’s handling of Khalistani extremism and its approach to India-Canada relations.
India responded strongly to the ban, expressing surprise and calling it an example of Canada’s hypocrisy when it comes to freedom of speech. At a media briefing in New Delhi on Thursday, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, “We were surprised by this action. It looks strange to us. Jaiswal added that Canada’s move to block the channel highlighted its double standards on freedom of speech. “You would have seen that the External Affairs Minister spoke about three main points during his media engagements: First, Canada’s baseless allegations against India, with no concrete evidence; second, the surveillance of Indian diplomats in Canada, which he termed unacceptable; and third, the political space given to anti-India elements in Canada,” Jaiswal said. “From this, you can draw your own conclusions about why Australia Today was blocked by Canada.”
Australia Today is a significant outlet for news and analysis, particularly in Australia, but also globally. The incident came just days after a violent attack by pro-Khalistani extremists on Hindu temple devotees in Brampton, Canada, which Jaishankar condemned as “deeply concerning.” Prime Minister Narendra Modi also denounced the attack, calling it a “cowardly attempt to intimidate” Indian diplomats. India had earlier urged Canada to better protect places of worship from such violence.
The latest diplomatic clash between India and Canada dates back to September of the previous year, when Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused Indian government agents of being involved in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. India categorically rejected the accusation. The situation worsened in recent weeks when Canada named the Indian High Commissioner as a “person of interest” in the investigation into Nijjar’s death, prompting India to recall its envoy and expel six Canadian diplomats, including the acting High Commissioner.
