India, Canada signal thaw in relations as foreign ministers hold first phone call in months
New Delhi: In a potential sign of easing diplomatic tensions, India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Canada’s new Foreign Minister Anita Anand spoke over the phone, marking the first high-level contact since the two nations were embroiled in a serious diplomatic row.
The call comes ahead of the upcoming G7 summit, which Canada is set to host next month. India, having attended the last six G7 summits as a guest during outreach sessions, is reportedly eager to be invited again this year. While Australia and Ukraine are believed to be on the guest list, it remains unclear whether India has received a formal invitation.
Jaishankar, in a post on social media platform X, said he “appreciated” the conversation with Anand and discussed “the prospects of India-Canada ties.” He also wished her “a very successful tenure.”
Anand, in a corresponding post, described the discussion as “productive” and highlighted their focus on strengthening bilateral ties, deepening economic cooperation, and advancing shared priorities. “I look forward to continuing our work together,” she said.
The diplomatic call follows Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s congratulatory message to Prime Minister Mark Carney following his election win in April, a gesture widely viewed as India’s first move toward resetting ties after nearly 19 months of strained relations.
The tension had escalated in September 2023 when the Canadian government under then-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused Indian officials of involvement in the killing of Canadian citizen Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a charge India strongly denied. In response to the allegation and the expulsion of six Indian diplomats, India undertook reciprocal diplomatic measures, resulting in a prolonged standoff.
India has consistently accused Canada of giving space to anti-India groups operating from its soil, while Canada reiterated its concerns through official channels, including statements by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police linking Indian officials to covert campaigns against Canadian citizens.
Despite these challenges, the new leadership in Ottawa and recent diplomatic engagements suggest a cautious but deliberate effort on both sides to rebuild trust. Modi’s earlier post had emphasized the importance of democratic values and people-to-people ties between the two nations, indicating a shared interest in moving forward.
Whether these gestures will translate into a full diplomatic rapprochement — including India’s participation in the G7 — remains to be seen. However, the phone call between Jaishankar and Anand is being viewed as a positive first step in that direction.
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Kejriwal resorting to 'vendetta politics', says BJP after MP Sandeep Pathak booked
New Delhi (PTI): The BJP on Saturday accused Aam Aadmi Party's national convenor Arvind Kejriwal of vendetta politics after Punjab Police booked Rajya Sabha MP Sandeep Pathak, who recently defected to the BJP.
In an X post, BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla claimed that Kejriwal is misusing the Punjab Police to settle political scores, and Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has become a party to it.
"Two FIRs have been filed against Sandeep Pathak, who until recently was in the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) as a Rajya Sabha MP and general secretary (organisation). What is baffling is the shameless, brazen vendetta politics being pursued by Arvind Kejriwal, with Bhagwant Mann complicit in it," Poonawalla said.
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"It is clear this has been done out of vendetta politics by Kejriwal, who is extremely vengeful and vindictive, and misuses the Punjab Police to pursue such political vendetta," he alleged.
Questioning the timing of the FIRs, Poonawalla said, "If these cases existed from the beginning, why were FIRs not filed earlier? If he was corrupt, why was he kept in the party for so long, especially when he was the general secretary (organisation)? Has any new material surfaced in the last few days, or has the alleged corruption occurred only now?"
He alleged that Kejriwal has an "old habit" of targeting political opponents and dissenters.
"We have seen how he has used the police against rivals, including Congress leaders. This is his old habit," Poonawalla said, referring to the withdrawal of Rajya Sabha MP Harbhajan Singh's security.
Poonawalla claimed that several leaders who had left AAP over the years, including Yogendra Yadav, Mayank Gandhi, Ashish Khetan, Ashutosh and Alka Lamba, were "hounded".
He accused the party of failing to introspect.
"Instead of introspecting on how they have changed -- from Anna to Lalu, from Lokpal to corruption -- they are indulging in vendetta politics, trying to victimise people using the strong arm of the law. This reflects an Emergency-like mindset and a dictatorial, Hitlerian mindset," he said.
According to sources, two FIRs have been lodged against Pathak under non-bailable sections.
No further details about the FIRs have been disclosed yet.
On April 24, the AAP suffered a jolt when seven of its 10 Rajya Sabha MPs quit, alleging that Arvind Kejriwal's party has strayed from its principles, values and core morals.
Of the seven MPs -- who were Pathak, Raghav Chadha, Ashok Mittal, Harbhajan Singh, Rajendra Gupta, Vikramjit Sahney and Swati Maliwal -- six were from Punjab.
Later, Rajya Sabha Chairman C P Radhakrishnan officially accepted their merger with the BJP, reducing AAP's strength in the Upper House to three.
