'Smacked Of Hypocrisy': India After Canada Blocks Australian Media Outlet For Playing Jaishankar

New Delhi: India on Thursday slammed banning of Australian media outlet by Cana for telecasting EAM S Jaishankar's press conference as ‘hypocrisy towards freedom of speech’ ding it was a surprising development and a strange move. Justin Trudeau-led Canian government is once again at Centre of a row after it blocked some social media handles and pages of Australia Today after it aired Jaishankar presser with Australian counterpart Penny Wong.

India said Cana blocked an Australian media outlet hours after it brocast press conference of Jaishankar and his Australian counterpart Penny Wong. 

External Affairs Ministry spokesman Randhir Jaiswal said Canian action of blocking social media handles and certain pages of Australia Today smacked of hypocrisy towards freedom of speech.

"We understand that social media handles, pages of this particular outlet, which are important diaspora outlets, have been blocked and are not available for viewers in Cana. This happened just an hour or few hours after this particular handle carried press conference of EAM Dr S Jaishankar with Penny Wong," Jaiswal said.

"We were surprised. It looks strange to us. But noneless, what I say is that se are actions which yet again highlight hypocrisy of Cana towards freedom of speech," external affairs ministry spokesman said.

What Jaishankar and Australian counterpart discussed in presser?

Jaiswal said Jaishankar, in his media interactions in Australia, h spoken about allegations levelled against India by Cana without sharing any specific evidence.

"You would have seen that External Affairs Minister, in his media engagements, spoke about three things. One was Cana making allegations and a pattern has developed without any specific evidence," he said.

spokesperson said second thing he highlighted was surveillance of Indian diplomats happening in Cana, which he termed as unacceptable.

" third thing which he highlighted was political space which has been given in Cana to anti-India elements. So you can draw your conclusions from that, why Australia Today channel was blocked by Cana," Jaiswal said.

With inputs from PTI