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Echo of Diplomatic spat is set to reverberate in lower Houses of Parliament of both India and Canada
Justin Trudeau is apparently downplaying an apparent caucus revolt over his leadership, saying such "internal party intrigue" should be set aside during the diplomatic row with New Delhi.
Representational image. / Shutterstock
Echo of the diplomatic spat may soon reverberate in the lower Houses of Parliament in India (Lok Sabha) and Canada (House of Commons) as demands from Opposition parties have started gaining ground in less than 24 hours of the diplomats expulsion drama. The Canadian House of Commons is on the Thanks Giving recess till Oct.21 and may take up the unprecedented tit for tat spat for an open debate once it resumes its sitting.
In India, the Opposition parties, including Congress, too wants the issue to be taker up on the floor of the House as it involved sovereignty and security of the country. As an animated debate over bilateral and diplomatic relations has started everywhere, the name of Lawrence Bishnoi gang, too has started figuring prominently. A recent report in the Washington Post has referred to a meeting between Senior Security Advisers to both India and Canada that was held in Singapore. The meeting that continued for several hours veered around Lawrence Bishnoi and his capabilities to strike anywhere. Incidentally Lawrence Bishnoi is lodged in a Gujarat jail.
Revealing details of the secret Singapore meeting, Washington Post said that the meeting was attended among others by India's National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and his Canadian counterpart Nathalie Drounin, Deputy Foreign Minister David Morrison as well as a senior member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police During deliberations, the newspaper said, the evidence showing that India had enlisted the Bishnoi gang networks in Canada to carry out Najjar's killing, came up for specific mention.
The US newspaper said that Ajit Doval even acknowledged that Bishnoi "was capable of orchestrating violence from wherever he is incarcerated" and "was known to be up to no good from his jail cell". The Washington Post based its report on what Canadian officials saying that India 'would deny any link to the Najjar murder and link to any other violence in Canada, no matter what the evidence was." Doval ended it by asking his counterparts to treat the discussions as if these 'never took place", the Washington Post said.
Most of federal and provincial political parties in Canada have generally rallied behind Justin Trudeau for taking up the stand on foreign intervention relating to security of Canadians on Canadian soil. As the developments over the past two days have overtaken all other events in the two countries, the Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, facing revolt from within the ruling Liberal caucus, has been quoted saying in media that India's involvement in political interference and crime in Canada is what his Liberal MPs should be concerned about right now, not his leadership.
Justin Trudeau is apparently downplaying an apparent caucus revolt over his leadership, saying such "internal party intrigue" should be set aside during the diplomatic row with New Delhi. It is the first time Trudeau has publicly commented on the latest internal party revolt holding that bigger and important issue for the Canadian MPs should be focused on supporting Canada during its diplomatic rift with India, 'There will be time to talk about internal party intrigue at another moment, but right now, this government, and indeed all parliamentarians should be focused on standing up for Canada's sovereignty, standing against interference, and looking to be there to support Canadians in this difficult moment," Trudeau said at a media interaction. He revealed he had spoken with several caucus members over the last few days and they had been focused on the well-being and safety of Canadians amid a growing diplomatic row with India.
The minority Liberal government has already survived two no-confidence motions just before the showdown against India started. The main Opposition Party, Conservatives, too, has backed Justin Trudeau. Once aligned with it as a part of the supply and confidence agreement (SACA), the ND, too, has backed the Trudeau government. The NDP leader, Jagmeet Singh, said in a statement, "We support today's decision to expel India's diplomats and we are calling on the Government of Canada yet again to put diplomat sanctions against India in place, ban the Rastriya Swayamsevak Sangh Network (RSS) in Canada, and commit to pursuing the most severe consequences for anyone found to have participated in organised triminal activity on Canadian soil." He also held that his party was extremely worried about the information released by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and said, "New Democrats are extremely worried about the information released by the RCMP commissioner today.
Canadians, particularly the Sikh community in Canada, have been stalked by fear, threats, harassment and violence-including extortion violence and electoral interference all allegedly at the hands of Indian officials.," holding that Canada has credible evidence linking Indian officials to the murder of Hardeep Singh Najjar. He added, "Since September 2023, at least 13 people have been warned by the RCMP of grave threats against them. The safety of Canadians has not yet been assured."
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