India cancels consular camps in Toronto after Canada refuses to provide security

India has cancelled consular camps in Toronto, the largest city of Canada, after the authorities refused to provide security.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), the Consulate General of India in Toronto said that in view of Canadian security agencies refusing to “provide minimum security protection to community camp organisers”, some of the scheduled consular camps have been cancelled.

The development comes at a time when India-Canada relations are at their worst over Canadian premier Justin Trudeau’s sponsorship of the Khalistan movement and his yearslong campaign against India.

The refusal of security for Indian mission’s activities is the latest instance of Canada putting the safety of Indian personnel in jeopardy.

In view of the security agencies conveying their inability to provide minimum security protection to the community camp organizers, Consulate has decided to cancel some of the scheduled consular camps.@HCI_Ottawa @MEAIndia

— IndiainToronto (@IndiainToronto) November 7, 2024

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For years, Khalistani elements that have found a safe haven in Canada have threatened Indian diplomats and officials with impunity in the country. On several occasions, they have issued calls for assassinations as well. The Government of India has flagged this in the past as well.

Last year, Minister of External Affairs S Jaishankar said that regular functioning of Indian missions in Canada has been compromised by such threats, which came amid “permissiveness to terrorism, extremism, and violence” in Canada.

Jaishankar made the comments when India had expelled Canadian diplomats after Canada expelled an Indian official by dubbing him as the station chief of an Indian intelligence agency. The action followed Trudeau’s allegation of an Indian role in the death of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Khalistani terrorist, earlier in the year.

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Speaking at the time during a visit to the United States, Jaishankar said that what’s happening in Canada cannot be normalised.

Jaishankar said, “Let’s not normalise what is happening in Canada…What is happening in Canada, had it happened anywhere else, do you think the world would’ve taken it with equanimity? We have had smoke bombs thrown at the mission, we have had violence in front of consulates. There are posters put up. Do you consider this normal? If this had happened to any other country, how would they react? Let’s not normalise what is happening in Canada. It is important to call out what is happening there.”

On another occasion, Jaishankar said that the situation in Canada was such that Indian diplomats were afraid of going to work.'

Jaishankar said, “For us, it has certainly been a country where organised crime from India, mixed with trafficking in people, mixed with secessionism, violence, terrorism. It’s a very toxic combination of issues and people, who have found operating space there…Today, I’m actually in a situation where my diplomats are unsafe going to the embassy, or to the consulate in Canada. They are publicly intimidated.”

Jaishankar further said that such elements have been “promoting secessionism and inciting violence against Indian diplomats, damaging diplomatic premises, and threatening the Indian community in Canada and their places of worship”.