S Jaishankar, Foreign Minister.
Australia: Australia Today has reacted to the ban imposed by Canada on interviewing Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in connection with the attack on the Hindu temple in Brampton, Canada. Leading expatriate news outlet The Australia Today on Friday expressed deep concern after Canadian authorities reportedly took down its social media accounts following its coverage of a press conference with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong. Blocked it. The ban has sparked a diplomatic controversy with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) also criticizing Canada’s stance on freedom of expression.
In a statement, The Australia Today managing editor Jitharth Jai Bhardwaj reaffirmed the publication’s commitment to open media despite the ban. “At Australia Today we want to express our heartfelt gratitude to every news outlet, journalist and supporter who has stood by us during these challenging times,” Bhardwaj said. Let us tell you that under the orders of the Canadian Government, Indian Foreign Minister S. Our interviews with Jaishankar and press conferences with Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong were recently banned on social media. This created difficulties for our team and those who do open and independent journalism.
India also criticized Canada
India had also strongly criticized Canada’s move on Thursday. Canada blocked an Australian media outlet hours after it broadcast a press conference of External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and his Australian counterpart Penny Wong. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said Canada’s action to block the social media handle and certain pages of ‘Australia Today’ smacks of hypocrisy towards freedom of expression. “We understand that the social media of this particular institution The handle, the page, which is an important platform for immigrants, has been blocked and is not available to viewers in Canada.
The incident occurred just an hour or a few hours after this particular handle telecasted External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar’s press conference with Penny Wong. A Foreign Ministry spokesperson said, “We were surprised. This seems strange to us. But still, I want to say that these are actions that once again expose Canada’s hypocrisy towards freedom of expression.”
Foreign Ministry condemned Canada’s action
Bhardwaj thanked supporters, saying, “Despite these restrictions, your unwavering support has been a symbol of strength for us. Be it sharing our coverage on other platforms, expressing concerns about press freedom, or Just be encouraging, every action has made a difference.” ,
The Foreign Ministry also condemned Canada’s actions and called them hypocritical. Foreign Ministry spokesman Randhir Jaiswal said the blocking of The Australia Today’s content exposed “Canada’s hypocrisy towards freedom of expression”. During the press conference, S Jaishankar criticized Canada’s approach, alleging lack of evidence in its allegations and expressing concern over “political space”. Anti-India elements were given to Canada.
During the briefing, Jaiswal also highlighted the recent violence that took place at the Hindu Sabha Temple in Brampton on November 3 in Brampton, near Toronto.
