India lodged a formal protest against Canada on Saturday, sharply condemning recent accusations made against its Union Home Minister. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, addressing media during the weekly briefing, announced that India had summoned a representative from the Canadian High Commission and delivered a Diplomatic Note to express “the strongest terms of protest”.
The protest follows statements made by Canada’s Deputy Minister David Morrison on October 29 before the Canadian Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security, where Morrison referenced India’s Home Minister. India termed these remarks as “absurd and baseless”, accusing Canadian officials of deliberately spreading unsubstantiated claims to the international media to undermine India’s standing. “The revelation that high Canadian officials deliberately leak unfounded insinuations…only confirms the view Government of India has long held about the current Canadian Government’s political agenda,” Jaiswal stated.
India’s note to Canada emphasized that such allegations could have “serious consequences for bilateral ties”. The spokesperson during a weekly briefing on Saturday called the accusations not only irresponsible but indicative of a calculated strategy to tarnish India’s image abroad, signalling that continued behaviour of this nature would not be tolerated.
This latest confrontation adds to the already tense relations between India and Canada, with both nations recently embroiled in disputes that have strained diplomatic ties. By publicly condemning Canada’s actions and warning of possible repercussions, India has sent a clear message that it will respond firmly to any attempts to discredit its officials on the global stage.