India summons Canadian high commissioner over posters naming Indian diplomats by Khalistani elements

New Delhi, July 4 (IANS)  India summoned Canadian High Commissioner to India, Cameron MacKay over the Khalistani posters which showed the names of Indian diplomats.

MacKay was summoned on Monday by the Ministry of External Affairs to convey concerns ahead of the protests planned by pro-Khalistan terrorist outfits outside the Indian High Commission in Ottawa, and two consulates in Toronto and Vancouver on July 8.

Meanwhile, Canada has reaffirmed its commitment to the safety of Indian diplomats in the country following the circulation of the posters. The Canadian government has called the posters "unacceptable" and has vowed to take action to protect Indian diplomats.

In a tweet, Canadian foreign minister Melanie Joy said, "Canada takes its obligations under the Vienna Conventions regarding the safety of diplomats very seriously. Canada remains in close contact with Indian officials in light of some of the promotional material circulating online regarding a protest planned for July 8, which are unacceptable."

"We know that the actions of a few do not speak for an entire community, or Canada," she added.

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Monday had said that the issue of Indian diplomats' names appearing on posters by Khalistani elements in Canada, would be taken up with the Canadian and other nations' governments as it may affect relations.

"We have requested our partner countries like Canada, the United States, the UK and Australia not to give space to the Khalistanis. This will affect our relations. We will raise this poster issue with the governments of these countries," Jaishankar had said.

A poster displaying pictures and names of Indian High Commissioner to Canada Sanjay Verma and consul general Apoorva Srivastava had appeared in Canada, showing the diplomats as "killers" of Khalistan Tiger Force chief Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was shot dead there a couple of weeks back.

The poster was about a rally planned by Khalistani elements in Toronto on July 8, which will culminate at the Indian High Commission (the poster reads Indian embassy).

Meanwhile India's consulate in San Francisco came under an attack from Khalistan supporters during the weekend, who tried to set the diplomatic facility on fire in the second such act of violence within months, drawing strong condemnation from the US government which termed it a "criminal offence".

A video by Khalistan supporters, dated July 2 and posted on Twitter, showed the act of arson at the Indian Consulate in San Francisco. Responding to the incident, US state department spokesperson Matthew Miller in a tweet on Monday said, "The US strongly condemns the reported vandalism and attempted arson against the Indian Consulate in San Francisco on Saturday. Vandalism or violence against diplomatic facilities or foreign diplomats in the US is a criminal offence."

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