NEW DELHI: The Canadian government is providing “political space” to extremist forces, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Tuesday, reiterating India’s concerns over an attack by pro-Khalistan radicals on a Hindu temple near Toronto.

Jaishankar also reiterated that the Canadian side has not shared any evidence to support the claims of Indian authorities that he is linked to the murder of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar and criminal activities targeting pro-Khalistan elements in Canada.

“Let me make three comments. First, Canada has developed a pattern of making claims without providing details. Secondly, from our perspective on Canada, the fact that they are putting our diplomats under surveillance is unacceptable,” Jaishankar said at a joint press conference with his Australian counterpart Penny Wong in Canberra.

“Thirdly, the events that took place (Sunday), look at the video, I think they will kind of tell you the political space given to extremist voices today (in Canada). So we believe in freedom, but we also believe that freedom should not be abused, and have we talked about that fully? Sunday.

Prime Minister Narendra condemned the attack, which took place when Indian officials were holding a consular camp at the temple, and called on the Canadian government to ensure justice and uphold the rule of law.

Describing the attack on the Hindu temple as “deeply worrying”, Jaishankar said Modi’s expression of concern showed “how deeply we feel about this”.

Responding to a question on Canada’s allegations that the Indian government was involved in actions targeting Khalistani elements, Wong said: “We have made clear our concerns about the allegations under investigation. “We said we respect Canada’s judicial process.”

He added that Australia conveyed its views on these issues to India and that it has a principled stance on issues such as the rule of law, independence of the judiciary and the sovereignty of all countries.

Wong was also asked about the recent destruction of two Hindu temples in Canberra and the safety of Australia’s Hindu minority, and he said all Australians, regardless of faith and culture, had the right to be safe and respected. “Regarding the vandalism you describe, I know our local members have expressed a very strong opinion about it, especially during Diwali week; This is a very sad situation for the people of the faith community and the broader Indian community. ”

Wong said people have the right to protest peacefully and express their views peacefully. “With this, we draw a line between violence, incitement of hatred or vandalism, and these need to be dealt with by appropriate law enforcement,” he added.

India-Canada relations have been at an all-time low since Prime Minister Justin Trudeau claimed in September last year there was a link between Indian government agents and the killing of Nijjar, who was shot outside a gurdwara in Surrey. Nijjar had already been declared a terrorist by India, a charge he dismissed as absurd.

The relationship took another blow recently when Canada sought to question the Indian envoy and five other diplomats as “persons of interest” in connection with Nijjar’s murder. India withdrew diplomats and expelled six Canadian diplomats from New Delhi.