Thank you
Upon listening to Joly dilly-dallying for about a minute and not responding to the posed question, the reporter while thanking Joly also asserted that she did not address what was asked.
Upon listening to Joly dilly-dallying for about a minute and not responding to the posed question, the reporter while thanking Joly also asserted that she did not address what was asked.
Canada has once again made a poor diplomatic show as it chose to evade the most important question posed by a journalist amid the country’s row with India over the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. During the interaction with the media, after Canada withdrew 41 of its diplomats from India, Foreign Minister Melanie Joly was asked a straightforward question. The question was whether Canada has shown the evidence to India which confirms that there is an Indian government hand behind the killing of the Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, as alleged by Ottawa.
After the question was fired by the journalist, the Canadian minister looked like she was at a loss for words and had no direct answer.
India has already asked Canada to give it the evidence to support its contentious claims, but Ottawa has so far come up with nothing but the same rhetoric.
While navigating through her stammering and fumbling, Joly said that Canada first raised the issue with India, and then only the Prime Minister Justin Trudeau chose to bring it to the Parliament.
Also Read | ‘Parity not violation of international norms’: India hits back at Canada, says it upholds Vienna Convention
She said that there were different conversations held with India and that allegations leveled by Trudeau were not a surprise. Joly’s response seemed like a clear digression from addressing the issue clearly and head-on.
Later, when the media person pressed on, Joly once more dodged the question and continued saying that Indian officials were made aware of the “credible allegations” and based on that India has decided to take their own decisions.
Upon listening to Joly dilly-dallying for about a minute and not responding to the posed question, the reporter while thanking Joly also asserted that she did not answer what was asked. At this point, the Canadian FM looked a bit irate and asserted that she did address the question and that “links and information” were shared.
Also Read | Canadian visa services to face delays after New Delhi kicks out 41 diplomats
The India-Canada diplomatic row further heightened as Canada, which withdrew dozens of its diplomats as sought by India to reach diplomatic parity, accused New Delhi of breaking norms of “diplomatic immunity.”
#BREAKING: Canadian Foreign Minister @melaniejoly left red faced in a media interaction as she is unable to answer question on why Canada failed to share any evidence with India on killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Canada confirms withdrawing 41 diplomats from… pic.twitter.com/ineznOsMSD
This came as India, while demanding a reduction in the number of Canadian diplomats, also cautioned Ottawa that if this was not made sure, it would remove their diplomatic immunity.
India’s external affairs ministry has since responded and rubbished “any attempt to portray the implementation of parity as a violation of international norms.”
“Our actions in implementing this parity are fully consistent with Article 11.1 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations,” it said.
Watch | Hardeep Singh Nijjar murder row intensifies: 41 Canada diplomats leave India in last 24 hours | WION
It quoted the article which read, “In the absence of specific agreement as to the size of the mission, the receiving State may require that the size of a mission be kept within limits considered by it to be reasonable and normal, having regard to circumstances and conditions in the receiving State and to the needs of the particular mission.”
(With inputs from agencies)
WATCH WION LIVE HERE
You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.
Heena Sharma
Heena Sharma is a digital journalist who writes mostly on current geopolitical developments. She keeps a keen eye on the ongoing issues like war in Eastern Europe, Syrian conflict, UK politics, and Lebanon’s economy among others. India’s response to key global challenges cannot escape her attention.
Exclusive: India's INS Shakti and SCI Saraswati to recover ISRO Gaganyaan crew module from sea
12:30 hrs countdown to ISRO's TV-D1 mission commences; Lift-off at 8 am Saturday. All details here
Pakistani man nabbed for snooping on Indian defence officials via WhatsApp
By accepting cookies, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our and . You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.