Using different yardsticks to implement the rule of law and freedom of expression exposes Canada’s “double standard”, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Thursday.

The ministry’s comments came in response to a question about two persons in Canada being recently charged for allegedly threatening to kill Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and New Democratic Party leader Jagmeet Singh, among others.

“We have seen these reports,” said ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal at a press briefing. “When a democracy adopts different yardsticks to measure or implement the rule of law and freedom of expression, it only exposes its own double standard. We expect Canada to take action against anti-India elements who have repeatedly threatened Indian leaders, institutions, airlines and diplomats by violence.”

New Delhi said it would like to see “strong action or same level of action” by the Canadian authorities on the threats posed to it.

The diplomatic ties between New Delhi and Ottawa have remained strained since September when Trudeau told his country’s parliament that intelligence agencies were actively pursuing “credible allegations” tying agents of the Indian government to the murder of Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada.

Nijjar was a supporter of Khalistan, an independent Sikh nation sought by some groups. He was the head of the Khalistan Tiger Force, which is designated a terrorist outfit in India.

New Delhi has rejected Canada’s allegations as “absurd and motivated” and said that they were an attempt by Ottawa to divert attention from the fact that it was providing shelter to those threatening India’s sovereignty.

New Delhi has for long complained that Khalistani outfits are being allegedly given a free rein by Canadian authorities.

In July 2023, Sanjay Kumar Verma, the Indian High Commissioner to Canada, and Apoorva Srivastava, the consul general in Toronto at the time, were targeted by Sikh separatist groups. They were featured on posters holding them responsible for Nijjar’s killing.

Response to US’ comments on Modi’s Moscow visit

Meanwhile, responding to comments by a United States official about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Russia earlier this month, the external affairs ministry said that all countries have a “freedom of choice” regarding foreign relations.

“You must understand that India has long-standing relationship with Russia, that is based on mutuality of interests,” Jaiswal said. “In a multi-polar world, all countries have the freedom of choice. It is essential for everybody to be mindful of and appreciate such realities.”

Jaiswal was responding to a comment made by Donald Lu, the United States’ assistant secretary of state for South and Central Asia. On Tuesday, Lu told US lawmakers at a Congressional hearing that Washington was disappointed about the symbolism and timing of Modi’s Moscow visit.

Modi’s visit came at a time when Washington was hosting the North Atlantic Treaty Organization summit, to mainly discuss Russia's ongoing war on Ukraine.

“We are having those tough conversations with our Indian friends,” Lu said. “…we were looking very carefully at what Modi did when he was in Moscow.”