“Many deviations in our foreign policy which have deteriorated relations…”: Congress’ Naseer Hussain on India-Canada row

New Delhi [India], October 16 (ANI): Amid the ongoing dispute between India and Canda, Congress Rajya Sabha MP Syed Naseer Hussain said on Wednesday that there have been many deviations in India’s foreign policy which have deteriorated relations with nerihbouring countries.

Hussain said, “There have been many deviations in our foreign policy and hence our relations with the neighbouring countries have deteriorated. Now it has happened with Canada too. These are serious issues so there should be some kind of national policy on this by taking opposition parties onboard.”

India and Canada have been dealing with an unprecedented diplomatic crisis after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged that Indian government agents were involved in the killing of Nijjar in Canada. India has rejected Canada’s allegations, terming it “absurd” and “politically motivated.”

Earlier, the Canadian government said it had credible intelligence of the Indian government’s connection to the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was shot dead outside Gurdwara in Surrey in June 2023.

On Monday, Canada expelled six Indian diplomats and consular officials in connection with a probe of the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia in 2023. India has also announced its decision to expel six Canadian diplomats, which include Canada’s Acting High Commissioner in India, Steward Ross Wheeler, Deputy High Commissioner in India Patrick Hebert and First Secretary Marie Catherine Joly.

India on October 14 “strongly” rejected a diplomatic communication from Canada suggesting that the Indian High Commissioner and other diplomats were “persons of interest” in an investigation and termed it as “preposterous imputations” and part of the political agenda of the Justin Trudeau government.

In a hard-hitting statement, India said Prime Minister Trudeau’s hostility to India has long been in evidence and his government has consciously provided space to violent extremists and terrorists “to harass, threaten and intimidate Indian diplomats and community leaders in Canada.