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Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri briefed the Parliamentary standing committee on foreign affairs on India’s relations with China and Canada
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri. (File Photo/Screengrab)
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri appeared before Parliament’s sitting committee on foreign affairs on Wednesday to discuss India’s relations with China and Canada.
The committee is chaired by Congress MP and former foreign minister Dr Shashi Tharoor. During the forum, department officials made a detailed presentation about China and Canada.
Sources told CNN-News18 that the foreign secretary told the panel that after receiving some information from America, India has formed an internal committee to look into the allegations.
“There are two ongoing investigations against India: one is in the American courts and the other is in Canada. In the American case, the case has already happened, and the United States has given some information to India that links the Indian government officials to the plot to kill the Sikhs of Justice Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, after which India decided to form a higher group. the committee. In fact, two members from the Indian side visited the US to discuss the case. Vikash Yadav was said to be the RAW officer named by the US in connection with the failed attempt to kill Pannun. “Nikhil Gupta, who is said to be in contact with Vikash Yadav, has already been extradited by the US government to the Czech Republic,” Misri told the committee, sources said.
In the ongoing case in Canada, no evidence has been presented to the Indian side yet, he reportedly added. “This investigation is about the involvement of Indian government agents in the assassination of Sikh leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun,” the foreign secretary told the panel, according to sources.
The committee was also informed that India has serious concerns about the safety of its workforce in Canada after this recent incident. The foreign secretary briefed the committee in detail on the visa issue and other developments.
Department officials also told members that Canada’s situation and the strained relations between the two countries are a result of internal Canadian politics. The political situation in Canada, especially in relation to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, could be one of the reasons why Ottawa took this decision.
In the first part of the meeting, Misri gave a detailed response to the panel on the situation along the LAC in eastern Ladakh. Sources say that the members of the committee expressed their satisfaction with his response, which added to what Foreign Minister S Jaishankar had already reported to both houses of Parliament.
When contacted, committee chairman Shashi Tharoor said it was “a very good and gracious meeting” and that the foreign secretary answered all the questions raised by the members.
In the previous meeting, the foreign secretary briefed the same delegation on the events in West Asia, especially the conflict between Israel and Hamas.
The committee is scheduled to meet next on December 11, where it will be briefed on the situation in neighboring Bangladesh. Even on Wednesday, many BJP MPs in Parliament raised the issue of attacks on minorities in Bangladesh.
A consultative committee meeting, which will be chaired by the foreign minister himself, is also scheduled to take place on November 14, where he will brief the council on India’s local policy. It is expected that he will shed more light on the situation of Bangladesh among other neighboring countries like Pakistan, Afghanistan and China.
On Wednesday, Jaishankar made a detailed statement in the Rajya Sabha about the economic slowdown between India and China.
“Let me share with Honorable Members what we expect in relation to the direction of our relations with China in the near future. Our relationship has improved in many areas, but it has obviously been adversely affected by recent events. We are clear that maintaining peace and tranquility in the border areas is the first requirement to improve our relationship. In the coming days, we will be discussing both the economic slowdown and the proper management of our operations in the border areas,” he said in a statement. engaging in a limited way, keeping our national security interests first In my recent meeting with FM Wang Yi, we came to the understanding that the Special Representative’s methods and and the Foreign Secretary will meet shortly.”