S Jaishankar: External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar emphasised that India doesn’t require lessons on free speech, addressing the strained diplomatic ties with Canada. He reiterated that Canada’s tolerance for terrorism, extremism, and violence is a concern. He also spoke about the “Steady” India-Russia Relationship.
S Jaishankar on Canada & freedom of speech
Speaking on the freedom of speech, he said, “Look, we are a democracy. We don’t need to learn from others what freedom of speech is about. We don’t think freedom of speech extends to incitement of violence. That to us is misuse of freedom, not defense of freedom.” He was referring to the assault on the Indian Consulate in San Francisco and the presence of Khalistani threat posters in Canada bearing the names of Indian diplomats.
Continuing further, he added,” What would you do if you were in my shoes? If it was your embassies, your diplomats, your people, what would be your reaction.” He mentioned that India and Canada need to engage in dialogue to find a resolution to their disagreements concerning Nijjar’s death. Additionally, he informed that he had conversations about the ongoing diplomatic dispute between India and Canada with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan.
He added, “If they are prepared to share with us specifics (of their allegations) and any relevant information, we are also open to looking at it, but what we do not want to see is an incident treated in isolation as it doesn’t convey the right picture.”
Speaking on the attacks, he said, “We have had smoke bombs thrown at the mission, we have had violence in front of consulates, there are posters put up. Do you consider this normal? If this had happened to any other country, how would they react. Let’s not normalise what is happening in Canada. It is important to call out what is happening there.”
Minister Jaishankar on India-Russia relationship
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar remarked that India’s relationship with Russia may not be “spectacular,” but it remains stable. He added that he anticipates Russia’s shift towards a greater focus on Asia due to strained ties with the West amid the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Jaishankar made these comments during his appearance at the Hudson Institute think-tank when questioned about India’s relations with Russia.
The minister emphasized that over the past 70 years, most major international relationships have experienced significant fluctuations. However, he highlighted that the relationship between New Delhi and Moscow has generally remained steady. He said, “India, Russia are very exceptional. It’s been very steady. It may not be spectacular. So, it may have stabilised at a certain level.”
He added, “I think as a consequence of what is going on in Ukraine, it seems to be clear that in many ways Russia’s relationship with the West has broken up and in that case, it’s logical that Russia focuses more on the Asian side of Russia, though historically Russia has always seen itself as a European power.”
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