External Affairs Minister Jaishankar reacts to attack on Hindu temple in Canada in joint press conference with Australian Foreign Minister

Commenting sharply on Canada's handling of recent diplomatic disputes, India's External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar, at a joint press conference with Australia in Ottawa, accused the government of making baseless allegations “without details”. This was the 19th meeting between Jaishankar and Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, which is a testament to the growing strategic cooperation between India and Australia.

Jaishankar expressed deep concern over the “unacceptable” surveillance of Indian diplomats, the “political space given to extremist forces” within Canada and even the recent attack on a Hindu temple in Canada. He said this is an extremely worrying attack on a place of worship, and related to this, highlighted how, “the world is witnessing an environment that is becoming increasingly hostile to Indian communities abroad”. .

Reflecting on the incident, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said: “This is upsetting for the Indian community in the week of Diwali; But Australia is committed to supporting cultural harmony.”