No question of unequal treatment to US, Canada charges, says EAM

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 7

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has denied that India is extending unequal treatment to the US and Canada on their allegations regarding the Indian Government’s links in cases of transnational repression.

“Insofar as the US is concerned, certain inputs were given to us as part of our security cooperation with the US. Those inputs were of concern to us because they related to the nexus of organised crime, trafficking and other matters. So, because it has a bearing on our own national security, it was decided to institute an inquiry into the matter and an inquiry committee has been constituted. Insofar as Canada is concerned, no specific evidence or inputs were provided to us,” Jaishankar said in the Rajya Sabha during question hour.

“So, the question of equitable treatment to two countries, one of whom has provided inputs and one of whom has not, does not arise,” he said in reply to a query from John Brittas (CPM), who had asked if India was not giving equal treatment to the two countries who made the same allegation.

The minister also reiterated that the government had set up an inquiry committee to examine the inputs given by the US in the form of videos and WhatsApp chats. These, said Jaishankar, related to the nexus of organised crime, trafficking in the context of an alleged murder attempt on a US national (Pannun).

MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi had also pointed out that the “heart of the issue” with Canada was its laxity with anti-India extremists and violence. “We have also seen interference by Canadian diplomats in our internal affairs, which is obviously unacceptable,” he had added.

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