November 25, 2024

Canada: ‘Can India’s diplomatic spat with Canada be its Israel moment?’

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NEW DELHI: The ongoing diplomatic tensions with Canada over the vexed Khalistani issue could be India’s “Israel moment”, feels noted Pakistani author Ayesha Siddiqa.
In an article in the UK-based website The Middle East Eye, Siddiqa said that India does not seem “excessively worried” about Canada after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused New Delhi of executing the murder of a Khalistani extremist on its soil.
She said that India, which is now a key player in America’s pivot to the Indo-Pacific region, is confident that Washington will desist from treating it the same way it has treated Pakistan.
Siddiqa, who is also a senior fellow at London’s King’s College, suggested that this might be a situation similar to when US overlooked assassinations linked to Israel, given the country’s strategic significance.
Even though India has described Canada’s allegations as “absurd”, Siddiqa said that PM Modi’s government is trying to send out a message to the world that it means business when it comes to security matters.
She wrote that the situation presents a unique challenge for US President Joe Biden, who has been leaning favourably towards New Delhi due to its strategic importance.
“But Canada is also an important US ally,” she added.
The author said that India may not receive a harsh censure similar to what Russia and Saudi Arabia got when they were found involved in carrying out assassinations on foreign soil.
However, she added that if the allegations are found to be credible, New Delhi may face repercussions.
In such an event, US will then have to shoulder the burden of saving its partnership with New Delhi, while conveying the message that such operations will not be tolerated, Siddiqa wrote.



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