New Delhi:
Amid ongoing diplomatic tensions, the Indian Consulate in Canada cancelled the scheduled consular camps to issue life certificates to applicants after the security agencies conveyed their “inability to provide minimum security protection” to the organisers of the camp, Consulate General of India, Toronto said.
“In view of the security agencies conveying their inability to provide minimum security protection to the community camp organizers, Consulate has decided to cancel some of the scheduled consular camps,” it tweeted.
Attacks on Indian consulate camps
This comes in the wake of a series of violent attacks by Khalistani extremists in the consular camps in Brampton, Surrey, and Vancouver. The latest attack took place in Brampton on Sunday (local time) when there was regular consular work to issue local life certificates to Indian and Canadian applicants.
The camp was organised at the demand of those nationals. The life certificate is a crucial document to ensure one’s pension continues.
The Indian High Commission in Ottawa blamed the ‘anti-India elements’ for violence outside the consular camp co-organised with the Hindu Sabha Mandir in Brampton.
“It is deeply disappointing to see such disruptions being allowed for routine consular work being organized by our Consulates with the fullest cooperation of local co-organizers. We also remain very concerned for the safety of applicants, including Indian nationals, on whose demand such events are organized in the first place. Despite these efforts by anti-India elements, our Consulate was able to issue more than 1000 life certificates to the Indian and Canadian applicants…” the High Commission had said.
Several Indian Sikh diaspora were present at the hall inside the camp at the Hindu Sabha Mandir in Brampton when the attack took place outside by the Khalistani extremists who were seen carrying Khalistan flags.
PM Modi slams ‘deliberate attack’
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had slammed Sunday’s “deliberate attack” outside the Hindu Sabha Mandir calling for justice.
External affairs minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday termed the attack “deeply concerning”.
