India-Canada diplomatic standoff: Government supports surveillance, harassment and intimidation of Canadian officials

Amidst a diplomatic crisis between India and Canada are getting worse to date, the government on Saturday accused Ottawa of surveilling the country’s consular staff there.

Randhir Jaiswal, spokesman for the Ministry of External Affairs, said Canada had placed Indian officials under audio and video surveillance and was “harassing and intimidating” them by resorting to such measures.

“Some of our consular officials have recently been informed by the Canadian government that they have been and continue to be under audio and video surveillance. Their communications were also intercepted. We have formally protested to the Canadian government as we believe these actions are in flagrant violation of relevant diplomatic and consular conventions,” Jaiswal told reporters during a press conference in Delhi on Saturday, adding that such actions have made it difficult to establish norms and diplomatic practices.

“By citing technicalities, the Canadian government cannot justify indulging in harassment and intimidation. Our diplomatic and consular staff are already operating in an environment of extremism and violence,” Jaiswal added.

The there was an ongoing diplomatic conflict from the Canadian government’s statement last month in which it said that Indian diplomats in Ottawa were ‘persons of interest’ in its investigation into the September 2023 killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

After killing Nijjar, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau claimed that certain Indian agents were involved in the murder, an allegation vehemently denied by the Indian government.

The Canadian government’s statement last month led India to recall its High Commissioner from Ottawa and other targeted diplomats. The Canadian government then expelled the six diplomats, prompting India to reciprocate its move.

Since then, there has been a war of words and a series of accusations and counter-claims between the two countries, with no sign of tensions being eased anytime soon.