Indian Embassy Cancels More Consular Camps In Canada Over Security Concerns

Last Updated:November 21, 2024, 23:54 IST

The decision came days after Khalistani extremists allegedly attacked devotees within the Hindu Sabha temple premises in Brampton

Amid the ongoing tense diplomatic ties, the Indian Consulate in Canada has cancelled the scheduled consular camps after the security agencies conveyed their “continued inability to provide minimum security protection” to the organisers of the camp.

“Due to continued inability conveyed by security agencies to provide minimum security against heightened threats, Consulate has had to cancel some more consular camps. Most of them were not at any places of worship, including one at a Police facility. Consulate is fully sensitive to the difficulties faced by close to 4,000 elderly members of the diaspora in the Greater Toronto Area- both Indian and Canadian nationals- who have been deprived of an essential consular service,” Consulate General of India, Toronto said in a statement.

Earlier this month, the Consulate had cancelled the camps citing the similar concerns. “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,” the Consulate had said.

Consular camps are routine operations organised by the Indian diplomatic missions in Canada, including the High Commission in Ottawa and the Consulates in Vancouver and Toronto, to help Indian with various services, such as life certificates.

The decision came days after Khalistani extremists allegedly attacked devotees within the Hindu Sabha temple premises in Brampton. Earlier this month, a group of protestors holding banners in support of Khalistan disrupted a consular event attended by Indian officials at Brampton’s Hindu Mandir. The protestors allegedly thrashed people with sticks outside the temple. The incident was condemned, including by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Canadian counterpart Justin Trudeau.

Additionally, several violent attacks were reported by Khalistani extremists in the consular camps in Brampton, Surrey, and Vancouver.

“We had asked for security to be provided for our diplomats where the consular camp was to be held and those have not been provided by the Canadian side,” Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal had said on the closure of consular camps.

“Over the last year or even more, the kind of things that we have seen attacking Indian diplomats, threatening, intimidating, harassing Indian diplomats… Yes, the threats have increased,” he had said.