Muzzled in Minutes: Canada Bans Australia Today After indian foreign minister S.Jaishankar's Press Briefing
NEW DELHI, India — The Canadian government has banned within mere minutes an Australian media outlet called Australia Today following its broadcast of a press briefing held by the Indian Minister of External Affairs, S. Jaishankar. The current diplomatic standoff between India and Canada was discussed live on YouTube by the media outlet known as Australia Today.
This incident came only hours after a broadside by Minister Jaishankar about strained relations between the two countries. Jaishankar criticized Canada's actions, saying that what he called "hypocrisy" defined Canada's approach to free speech. He claimed that allowing the monitoring of Indian diplomats and giving a platform to anti-India elements left little to be said about a country's double standards regarding free speech.
The event was live broadcasted by Australia Today, where many bilateral issues would come up for discussions. Among these are the recent attack on a Hindu temple in Brampton, Ontario, perpetrated by Khalistan supporters. "They don't know that India continues to be full of life and will not weaken them even if there are such cowardly attempts to intimidate Indian diplomats staying in Canada," Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said.
After airing this, Canada banned Australia Today on the grounds of spreading material believed to be weakening India's sovereignty as well as diplomatic initiatives. The Canadian government did not give concrete reasons for banning the channel but said it was because of material broadcast by the Australian station.
India has condemned Canada's decision in the strongest terms, terming it an "egregious affront to freedom of press" and a ploy to gag truthful reporting. A spokesperson from the Indian Ministry of External Affairs, Randeep Jaishwal, said the media in Delhi, "We are deeply surprised and disappointed by Canada's decision to ban Australia Today. This move blatantly undermines principles of free speech and press freedom, beating Canada hollow on its parades of expression."
Jaishwal further said, "Minister Jaishankar's comments were focused on responding to legitimate concerns about what Canada has done which impacts India's bilateral ties. The banning of a press outlet for broadcasting a live press conference is an outrageous affront to journalistic freedom.
The Australia Today ban has once again sparked debate on media freedom in India and the state of diplomatic relations that exist between India and Canada. Critics argue that such acts set a dangerous precedent about media censorship, which is detrimental to free flow of information. On the other hand, supporters of the ban assert that they are necessary to protect national interests and counter the proliferation of misinformation.
While the countries continue to maneuver through this diplomatic quagmire, the international community is closely following the turn of events. This whole affair, again, has pointed out how thin is the veneer of international diplomacy and played host to what role the media plays in shaping perceptions and narratives for two countries.
In the India-Canada relations, both sides are trying to work out attempts through diplomatic dialogue to put an end to all tensions and get matters back to normalcy. The governments on both sides have expressed a desire for constructive talk towards soothing the issues before things escalate further.
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