'Supporting terrorists on their soil:' BJP's Baijayant Panda condemn Canada

Canada has been appeasing, patronising, and supporting terrorists on their soil, said BJP National Vice-President and former Rajya Sabha member Baijayant Jay Panda, commenting on the ongoing tussle between India and Canada.

"Canada has been professing all these liberal values, like freedom of speech, but they have been appeasing, patronising, and supporting terrorists on their soil. These terrorists are not just targeting India; they have killed hundreds of Canadian citizens themselves. Canada itself has separatist movements, such as the Quebec separatist movement. They don't allow the same freedom to those who want to have independence for Quebec. They don't allow a referendum for Quebec separatists.

The BJP leader was referring to the Quebec sovereignty movement, which is a political crusade with the aim of achieving the independence of Quebec from Canada. Sovereignists suggest that the people of Quebec make use of their right to self-determination a principle that includes the possibility of choosing between integration with a third state, political association with another state, or independence so that Québécois, collectively and by democratic means, give themselves a sovereign state with its own independent constitution.

India- Canada row

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada sparked a massive diplomatic tussle between India and Canada after he alleged in the Canadian Parliament that India was behind the killing of a pro-Khalistan leader in their country. Following the allegation by the Canadian PM, India registered its strong objection to it and refuted any such involvement.

India condemns

Former Punjab Chief Minister and BJP leader Captain Amarinder Singh on Tuesday overruled Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s claims of alleged involvement of "agents of the Indian government" in the killing of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar outside a Surrey Gurdwara in June this year. Terming the claims "baseless", Singh said that Trudeau is putting the India-Canada diplomatic relationship at stake for his vote-bank politics.

Amid the ongoing diplomatic tension between the two countries over the issue, former-chief of the Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW), Vikram Sood, has come up questioning the Canadian premier and termed it illogical.