Centre briefs parliamentary panel about Canada row, says issue ‘sensitive’: Sources

The government on Friday briefed the parliamentary Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs about the ongoing row with Canada, sources.

The Congress and other opposition parties had been demanding the government to take the Leaders of Opposition in both Houses into confidence about the diplomatic escalation with Canada. In the meeting, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri shared some details about the diplomatic standoff between India and Canada. Misri also told the panel that since the issue is very sensitive, more details will be shared at a later time, sources said.

The ties between India and Canada hit an all-time low after Ottawa alleged Indian diplomats were involved in collecting information and using criminal gangs for targeting members of pro-Khalistan movement. India recalled its top envoy to Ottawa and expelled six Canadian diplomats from the country.

Last week, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said the government should come clean in view of the allegations levelled by Justin Trudeau amid the ongoing diplomatic standoff between the two countries.

Besides the Canada row, the Foreign Secretary also briefed the parliamentary panel over the West Asia crisis. According to sources, the opposition MPs questioned why there was no public condemnation from the government of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and why India abstained 20 times from voting in the UN over the Israel-Hamas war.

Talking about the parliamentary panel meeting, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor called the discussion on the Israel-Palestine conflict good. “The Foreign Secretary fully briefed us. It was followed by shorter briefings on other issues raised by members and the recent developments in India-Canada relations. The meeting was conducted in a very constructive spirit and lasted two and a quarter hours,” he told India Today TV.

The MPs also questioned whether India was supplying arms to Israel. The Foreign Secretary replied that India had publicly condemned it, sources said. The opposition MPs were also briefed about the recent border disengagement agreement between India and China and that the government was trying to bring the situation back to pre-2020 era.

The issue of Indians struck in the Russia-Ukraine war was also discussed. The opposition MPs asked what the government was doing to get the 20 Indians enrolled in the Russian army.

In August, the Russian embassy said Moscow and New Delhi are working in close coordination for an early “identification and discharge” of the Indian nationals who voluntarily joined contractual work in the military service and now want to return home.

Nine Indians have died while serving in the Russian Army, according to official data.