On Thursday, India’s Ministry of External Affairs expressed strong disapproval after Canadian authorities abruptly blocked Australia Today, a prominent diaspora media outlet. This restriction came mere hours after the outlet covered a press conference where External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar met with Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong. Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal addressed the media, stating Canada had blocked the outlet’s access, rendering it inaccessible for viewers within the country.
Jaiswal highlighted that Australia Today’s social media pages and other digital platforms had similarly been blocked across Canada, an action taken just an hour or so after the outlet broadcasted Jaishankar’s press briefing with Wong. In this conference, Jaishankar underscored three key issues: Canada’s unsubstantiated allegations against India, which he suggested had become a concerning pattern; the surveillance of Indian diplomats on Canadian soil—a practice Jaishankar deemed “unacceptable”; and the alarming level of political leeway granted to anti-India groups within Canada.
Reflecting on the restrictions imposed, Jaiswal reiterated that the blocking of this influential diaspora platform seemed conspicuously timed. “We were taken aback; it appears strange to us. Nonetheless, it’s yet another instance underscoring Canada’s double standards when it comes to free speech,” he remarked. He pointed out that Jaishankar, in his statements, laid out the troubling pattern of baseless allegations, unwarranted surveillance, and the freedom afforded to anti-India voices within Canada’s borders. “Draw your conclusions,” Jaiswal added, “as to why Canada decided to block Australia Today.”
dailybharat
