India's remaining diplomats 'clearly on notice': Canada's foreign minister
Toronto (PTI): Canada's Minister of Foreign Affairs Mélanie Joly on Friday said the remaining Indian diplomats in the country are “clearly on notice” after Canada named the Indian High Commissioner in Ottawa as a person of interest in the assassination of a Sikh separatist leader.
Joly said the government would not tolerate any diplomats who contravene the Vienna Convention or put the lives of Canadians at risk.
India expelled six Canadian diplomats on Monday and announced that it was withdrawing its High Commissioner in Canada after dismissing Ottawa's allegations linking the envoy to the probe into the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
Canada, however, said it had expelled six Indian diplomats.
Joly, comparing India to Russia, said Canada's national police force has linked Indian diplomats to homicides, death threats and intimidation in Canada.
“We've never seen that in our history. That level of transnational repression cannot happen on Canadian soil. We've seen it elsewhere in Europe. Russia has done that in Germany and the UK and we needed to stand firm on this issue," she said in Montreal.
Asked if other Indian diplomats will be expelled, Joly said: “They are clearly on notice. Six of them have been expelled including the high commissioner in Ottawa. Others were mainly from Toronto and Vancouver and clearly, we won't tolerate any diplomats that are in contravention of the Vienna convention.”
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police went public this week with allegations that Indian diplomats were targeting Sikh separatists in Canada by sharing information about them with their government back home.
Calling out the notorious Bishnoi crime gang, the RCMP said top Indian officials were passing information about Sikh separatists to Indian organised crime groups who were targeting the activists.
The relations between India and Canada came under severe strain following Prime Minister Trudeau's allegations in September last year of the "potential" involvement of Indian agents in the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was gunned down in Surrey, British Columbia.
India has rejected the Canadian accusations as absurd and politically motivated.
India has repeatedly criticised Trudeau's government for being soft on supporters of the Khalistan movement who live in Canada.
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Fresh snowfall in higher reaches of Kashmir
Srinagar (PTI): Few areas in the higher reaches of Kashmir, including the Gulmarg tourist resort, received fresh snowfall, while the plains were lashed by rains on Sunday, officials said.
The upper reaches of Gulmarg, including Apharwat and Kongdoori bowls, received snowfall, which continued till last reports came in.Pir Ki Gali, along the Mughal Road in Shopian district of south Kashmir, and Sonamarg Zojilla axis also received fresh snowfall.
The snowfall on the Zojilla Pass forced the closure of the Srinagar-Leh national highway, the officials added.
The plains of the valley, including Srinagar, were lashed by rains which were going on till last reports, the officials said.
The wet weather has brought down the day temperature across the valley.
The Meteorological Department has forecast erratic weather till March 20.
It said intermittent light to moderate rain, or snow in the higher reaches was likely till Monday morning.
There is a possibility of a brief spell of light rain or snow, in the higher reaches, at isolated places on Tuesday.
From March 18-20, the weather will remain generally cloudy with a possibility of intermittent light to moderate rain or snow at many places.
The MeT Office said another wet spells is likely on March 24-25, with light rain, or snow in the higher reaches, at scattered places.
It said there is a possibility of thunder or gusty winds, about 40-50 kmph, at a few places on Sunday and Monday.
